


Greet the Blinding Light

by Philyra



Series: Blue Skies Meet the Sunrise [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Darcy Lewis Crossover Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-20
Updated: 2012-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-12 13:02:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/491314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philyra/pseuds/Philyra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which SHIELD (and Darcy in particular) find out that the universe is a hell of a lot bigger than even they expected.</p><p>A Darcy Lewis Crossover Week story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All the world is mad

Darcy Lewis _loved_ her job.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t loved being Jane’s intern. Jane was a surrogate older-sister-she’d-never-had and a best friend rolled into one, but Jane was still an astrophysicist. There was only so much Darcy could do with keeping her fed, watered, and on a decent sleep schedule. True, Darcy had come up with a filing system that was brilliant, if somewhat odd (instead of “wormhole,” she preferred “Celestial Temple”), but that didn’t make up for the fact that she could rattle off the all the constitutional amendments without stumbling but still couldn’t make heads or tails of the Schwarzschild metric (or even pronounce it properly, for that matter). Jane needed someone who could understand her the way Erik did, and after Thor crossed that Amazing Technicolor Bridge, SHIELD was more than happy to provide her with an army of people like that.

Which kind of left Darcy high and dry, until Coulson (or Agent K, version 2.0) just kind of _swooped_ in and then…she was _his_ assistant, which was another kettle of fish entirely.

With Coulson and SHIELD, Darcy could actually flex some of her poli-sci muscles. After Loki attacked New York (and had not actually killed her boss), he’d been appointed the SHIELD liaison to all of the spandex-wearing crowd, meaning the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and any mutants that felt like announcing their presence. He needed someone who knew how government systems worked and how to navigate them and hey, the awesome filing skills were just a bonus. She’d finished her degree remotely and moved to New York, where she could see Jane and Thor on a regular basis and hang out at Stark Tower every once in a while.

And she had a job that she was surprisingly good at. So yeah, everything was peachy keen.

 _Especially_ now, when she was witness to something she was pretty sure Tony Stark would give his newly repaired penthouse for: Nick Fury, absolutely flummoxed.

The general sitting across the conference table was leaning back in his chair, the very picture of placid amusement.

“Homeworld _what_?” Fury sputtered.

“Homeworld Command, Director Fury.” He shrugged. “There are more things in heaven, and all that stuff. Although I’m pretty sure you know that right now, what with the Chitlins-“

“Chitauri,” the thin, balding, bespectacled man beside him murmured.

The general rolled his eyes. “That’s what I _said_.”

Darcy kind of liked this guy. It helped that he was a total silver fox and reminded her of MacGyver (she and her mom had MacGyver marathons and he was her first true love, okay?). She’d built up an image in her head of generals, one that wasn’t helped by first-hand experience with one Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, but this one was completely different. He was Air Force, for one thing.

“What General O’Neill is trying to say,” another Air Force officer – Major Davis, Darcy thought, said hastily, “Is that Homeworld Command and the International Oversight Advisory are willing to work with SHIELD on matters of extraterrestrial interest. In light of Loki’s invasion-“

“Well done on that, by the way,” General O’Neill interjected. “We thought we’d give you guys the benefit of the doubt after that incident with Thor – who I want to have a few words with, by the way, I’ve got a lot of questions – but after _this_ -“

Fury leaned forward, focusing that one-eyed glare of his at the older man. “The Avengers Initiative did what it was supposed to. I don’t know if you were paying attention, sir, but that portal was closed. They saved the world.” Darcy saw Agent Hill purse her lips slightly. Coulson was doing his usual statue thing, but he’d blinked a few seconds ago so she knew that he was still present and accounted for.

“Yeah, yeah. Try doing that several times. Secretly. With giant ships in orbit ready to blow us into smithereens.” General O’Neill glanced at his fourth and last companion, who was built like a tank and looked like he could give Thor a run for his money. The fedora pulled low over his forehead was kind of weird though and kind of took away from his B.A. Baracus vibes. “How many times have we done that, T?”

“I believe it has been seven or eight times, O’Neill. Perhaps more.” Now that was an interesting accent. She would have cried, “wolf” at their statement but hey, seeing as how she’d actually met some honest-to-Buddha aliens, she couldn’t quite discount it. Plus, she’d spotted the way that Major Davis’ lips twitched, as though he was agreeing with everything they said.

Woolsey, the thin and bespectacled guy, sighed. “General, this isn’t a contest.” He turned his attention to Fury. “Homeworld Command and the IOA have protected Earth for over ten years now. We have experience and protocol that can only benefit SHIELD.”

“Not to mention the toys. The helicarrier is cool and all but…we’ve got spaceships.”

 _Get the hell out of Dodge_. It was interesting to see Coulson, Hill, and Fury blanch. Just when she thought they couldn’t be shocked, but even Darcy wanted to know how these so-called spaceships avoided SHIELD satellites and could she ride in one as soon as possible? “Who the hell are you people?” Fury asked eventually. The and why the hell didn’t I know about you? Went unsaid but was loud and clear.

General O’Neill motioned towards Woolsey. “Richard, you like talking. Would you like to share with the class?”

And that’s how a small cadre of SHIELD found out about the Stargate and Darcy learned that the universe really was a hell of a lot larger than even she had originally thought.

Stunned silence reigned after Woolsey finished speaking. And Darcy's fingers felt like they were going to fall off. She knew she could type fast, but _ow_.

General O’Neill waved a hand. “Look, we realize that you’ve got a lot of the Earth-based stuff covered and you’re welcome to it, though we’d appreciate some intelligence exchanges every once in a while. Even we have nuisances that make it all the way to Earth. But when it comes to anything off-planet, well…it’s best if we cooperate.”

“And if we don’t want to?”

Something in the general’s frame just _shifted_ , going from loose and easy to something else entirely. His dark eyes flashed and Darcy finally saw the soldier, one that had seen Earth through a hell of a lot more than seven or eight battles. This was not someone to take lightly, no matter how irreverent he acted. “That’s not a good idea, Director Fury.”

 _Don’t piss MacGyver off_! Darcy wanted to shout. 

Evidently, Fury came to the same conclusion. He nodded reluctantly. “We’ll cooperate, General O’Neill. But we will need to discuss this further.”

And just like that, the soldier receded. “Cool. Our people can talk. I think Major Davis and Agent Coulson here will get along just fine. You can visit some of our bases, and I’m sure Dr. Foster would just love to get a peek at a Stargate.” His eyes sparkled as if he was sharing a joke, and Darcy suddenly wondered if these guys were the reason why Jane had been relegated to the lunatic fringe of the scientific world. “And I wanna talk to Thor.”

Fury, Agent Hill, and Coulson exchanged glances. “I’m sure we can arrange something,” Coulson said eventually.

“Hey, he speaks! You guys got anything good to eat around here? And T, you can probably take your hat off now.”

Darcy’s jaw dropped at the sight of the bright gold symbol embedded in B.A.’s forehead. What the hell was _that_?

General O’Neill grinned cheerfully. “Yeah, Teal’c is not native either.”


	2. Lost continent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which SHIELD and the Avengers visit Atlantis.

“Tower, this is Q-6XF requesting permission for landing.” Clint fiddled with the controls and waited patiently for the response. Natasha sat beside him, her eyes trained on the empty expanse of water just outside San Francisco Bay.

“I still say they’re yanking our chains,” Tony muttered from somewhere in the back. “I mean come on, Atlantis?”

“Whatever happened to six impossible things before breakfast, Tony?” Jane inquired.

“Come to think of it, I kind of feel like I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.”

“I look forward to seeing the city of the Lanteans,” Thor remarked. “Many have spoken of its beauty, even on Asgard.”

Static crackled on the radio. “Q-6XF, this is the tower. You have permission to land. Welcome to Atlantis.” The voice was male and tinged with more than a little bit of wry amusement. “Enjoy the view. Cloak coming down.”

Darcy had honestly thought that there could be nothing more beautiful than the Bifrost, with its sparkling multitude of colors arcing through the sky to ferry passengers between worlds. Even the portal the Chitauri came through had been beautiful in its own lethal way, black against the blueness of the sky with the blinding beam of energy emitted by the Tesseract piercing through its center.

But then the cloaking shield dissolved. Her breath caught as tendrils of rosy-bright light bounced brightly off a multitude of shining towers and panels of glass. They’d left New York just before dawn and flown with the sun at their back, which now formed the perfect setting for the sight before them.

Atlantis was massive, easily the size of Manhattan. Its six piers rayed outwards from an inner city with a central control tower that plunged upwards into the sky. The effect was overwhelming – a shining city on the sea.

And it could _fly._

Darcy could hear the Avengers jostling each other at her back to get a better look as the Quinjet flew closer.

“More things in heaven and earth, indeed,” Director Fury commented. “I hate it when General O’Neill is right.” The two men had developed a healthy respect for one another in the days since their initial meeting, from one career soldier to another.

“I take it all back,” Tony said, his voice suspiciously thick. “It’s like Christmas!”

_Save us all_. Darcy could only imagine what would happen once Tony, Jane, and Bruce got at the science and technology labs in Atlantis. 

“She’s gorgeous,” Steve murmured, only inches from Darcy’s ear. “Just when you thought nothing could surprise you…”

“Life’s full of surprises, handsome,” she responded, twisting her head around to flash him a grin. No doubt the captain was itching to sketch the city already.

Clint cleared his throat. “You’ve got one hell of a city, tower. Where do you want us?”

“Thanks, Q-6XF. You’re cleared for landing on the East Pier.”

A welcome party was waiting as the Quinjet landed. Darcy recognized Richard Woolsey, who was flanked by two teams, one in streamlined charcoal gray with specific color designations, and the other in black Air Force BDUs. Judging by those differences, she guessed that the ones in gray belonged to Atlantis personnel and the ones in black to Earth-based Stargate Command. She and Coulson had spent many days poring over as much information regarding the SGC, the Atlantis Expedition, and _Destiny_ as they could to prepare both the team and themselves for further relations with Homeworld Command.

The information was enough to make one’s head spin. Still, Darcy couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face as she thumped down the exit ramp onto Atlantis behind the Avengers and the other SHIELD personnel. She was visiting a thousands-of-years-old legendary city. _Goddamn_ she loved her job!

Woolsey was already shaking hands with Fury. “Welcome to Atlantis, Director Fury. We are pleased you could make it. May I present our representatives from the city as well as Stargate Command? Lt. Colonel John Sheppard is our military commander and head of the First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team.”

John Sheppard looked to be about the same age as Tony, with gravity-defying black hair, bright blue eyes, and something of a marauder’s grin lurking around the corners of his mouth. He had the same sort of loose and easy stance that General O’Neill had, and the same quiet intensity bubbling away underneath. She had to wonder if that was a trait that Stargate Command hammered into all of its commanding officers.

“Our leading scientist, Dr. Rodney McKay-“

“ _You_!” Jane shrieked suddenly, coming from around Thor to poke her finger into the chest of the man currently trying to hide behind Sheppard. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Stargate, you miserable _jerk!”_

“I told you she wasn’t going to smile and shake my hand!” the man said to a blonde woman who was currently trying to hide a laugh behind her hand.

“Why would I?” Jane asked incredulously, working herself into a rage. “I spent years chasing wormholes and being laughed at by my colleagues when I could have been working here or at Cheyenne Mountain! A place where you all but chased me out, if I remember correctly!” The agitation was clear in her voice, and Darcy had to shake her head at Thor to stop the God of Thunder from fighting the hapless scientist over Jane’s abused honor.

Woolsey looked pained. “Dr. McKay,” he said pointedly.

“Yeah Rodney, play nice. You’re in front of the Avengers, after all.” A full-blown smirk had made its way across Sheppard’s face, clearly amused at the situation in front of him. Judging by the answering grins around him, this clearly wasn’t the first time that McKay had been in such a situation.

McKay sighed and ran a hand over his close-cropped brown hair. “All right, I do admit that I could have handled things better, Dr. Foster. I didn’t quite have the people skills-“ he ignored the snickers from his team. “-then. But can I just say that you were clearly spoiling for a fight then and wouldn’t have believed me. You didn’t even sign the non-disclosure agreement before you stormed out!”

Jane’s lower lip stuck out mutinously and Darcy chose that moment to step in. “He’s got a point, Jane,” she said in an undertone, placing a hand on her shoulder. Jane had shared the story of her near-recruitment and it was definitely true that she thought it was a prank. She’d just lost her father and only just begun to postulate some of her wilder theories, leaving her tense and on edge. “Now, the nice doctor here has apologized – sort of – and you should just let bygones be bygones, all right? Don’t you want to see the Stargate?”

Thank goodness her Jane-whisperer powers were still intact. The tiny astrophysicist twitched angrily but stood down. “Fine,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I won’t say anything further on the subject if you won’t, Dr. McKay.” And with that, she stuck her hand out. The handshake was cautiously returned.

The rest of the introductions went smoothly after that and the whole motley crew began making their way to a real live transporter to take a tour of the inner city. Fury and Agent Hill immediately fell in line with Woolsey, while Sheppard and Colonel Cameron Mitchell of SG-1 instantly waylaid Steve. It was nice to know that even flyboys could be in awe of Captain America. Tony and Jane were already quizzing McKay on Ancient technology and Bruce was quietly conversing with Atlantis’ CMO, Jennifer Keller. Coulson was exchanging familiar greetings with Teal’c, no doubt wishing to discuss some of the events that he’d read about during the past few days.

But Darcy was more concerned with other things – for example, the fact that Natasha and Teyla Emmagan were sizing each other up like a pair of lionesses (what was it with the cat metaphors?). The Athosian woman had the same kind of coiled, deadly strength in her that the assassin did and she did not want to think of the consequences if they came to blows. The paperwork alone would be a nightmare.

Three guesses as to who would be filling out _that_ paperwork. She was about to ask Clint to intervene when she realized that he was having a pissing contest of his own with Ronon Dex. Damn it.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” an amused, smoky voice purred in her ear. Darcy jumped and realized that the sole woman on SG-1 – Vala Mal Doran, former space pirate, had somehow snuck up on her. So much for Natasha’s training. But then again, _space pirate_. “They’ll settle down soon enough. Either that or they’ll spar in one of the training rooms. That’ll be a treat. I’d like to test my mettle against your Widow, myself.”

“I’ll bet,” Darcy managed, amused by the older woman’s manner.

“What a lovely uniform, by the way. Much more flattering than ours. Daniel, darling, how do you think I’d look in one of these SHIELD things?”

The archaeologist – who was way buffer and much hotter than Indy had ever been (and for Darcy, that was saying something) – spared her a glance from his conversation with Thor. “No, Vala.” It was obviously an automatic answer.

She shrugged and wiggled her eyebrows at Darcy. “He always says that. But just wait until I get one of those suits and ambush him in his rooms with a pair of those fluffy handcuffs. You Tau’ri really do make the most marvelous things.”

“Yeah, we kind of do,” she laughed, feeling a knot of tension dissipate from her shoulders. “You and Dr. Jackson are kind of kinky, huh?” She winced and wished, not for the first time, that she had something of a brain-to-mouth filter. It would be just like her to piss off an alien, no matter how friendly she seemed.

But Vala Mal Doran didn’t seem bothered at all. The grin flashed her way was all kinds of conspiratorial. “We could be, but the man does protest too much. That’s why I want one of your uniforms. It might just wear him down.” Her hand darted out and grabbed Darcy’s, pulling it up in front of her face. “Oooh! How did you do this? Wouldn’t your SHIELD disapprove of agents being so…bright?”

Darcy had been bored on the way over and painted her nails metallic aquamarine, with a coating of darker turquoise and magenta glitter. “Boss-man doesn’t mind as long as they’re not too long and don’t get in the way of tasks.” She nodded towards Vala’s own sparkly barrette, perched jauntily amongst her pigtails. “I could say the same for you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being girly and pretty.”

“As long as you can still kick ass, right?”

“Of course.” Vala winked and grinned broadly.

Darcy decided that she liked this odd woman-child. And did she mention the whole space pirate thing? She bet that the woman knew how to _party_. She wondered if she could wrangle invitations for SG-1 and AR-1 to one of Tony’s parties. “I can paint your nails, if you like,” she offered. “I brought some along.”

“Excellent!” Vala looped her arm through Darcy’s. “This is the beginning of a marvelous friendship, I just know it!” She tilted her head to the side. “See, I told you it would be all right.”

Natasha and Teyla were walking eerily in sync, discussing something in low undertones. Behind them, Clint and Ronon were loudly debating the merits of their favorite weapons.

Yay, it looked like she wouldn’t be filling out paperwork, but she wasn’t going to hold her breath just yet. The day was still young.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you allowed the Asgard to take on your names and images to become guardians of the Milky Way?” Daniel Jackson’s voice drifted back towards them, high and incredulous.

“Indeed, Dr. Jackson! It was most fortuitous that those beings were of a place and name so similar to ours. They were most honorable and wished to carry on protecting Midgard when we could no longer do so. The one who carried on my name, this Thor of which you speak, was one of a most high intellect, even though he did not follow the warrior’s path.”

Well, that explained a hell of a lot. No wonder General O’Neill had been so insistent on meeting Thor. His relationship with the now-extinct race had been one of the most prominent reports within the files Homeworld Security had sent over.

“It grieves me to know that they are no longer amongst us,” Thor continued. “But they have truly died a warrior’s death and I do not doubt that they are now dining in Valhalla. Theirs is a great legacy and they did well entrusting it to those of Midgard.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Daniel replied softly, and not without a touch of sadness.

The rest of the tour passed by in a dizzying blur. The Stargate was a thing of beauty. Darcy thought Jane would start weeping right there in the Gate Room and even Tony was speechless for a good long while. Unfortunately, none of the Avengers were cleared for ‘Gate travel just yet, so they’d have to save the planet hopping for another day. Even Thor was interested in the Stargate, seeing as the Bifrost was still out of commission.

The scientists went off to the labs while the military types marched away to explore the Jumper bays. Darcy had to give Vala a rain check for the manicure as she was going to be in meetings for most of the rest of the day, writing down notes and observations for Coulson. The politics of Homeworld Command, the IOC, and Stargate Command were intricate and roughly paralleled the complicated relationship between SHIELD and the Council.

Eventually she was released from her duties and she went off to find Jane. A quick inquiry to Chuck and Amelia in the control room pointed her in the right direction and she made her way to McKay’s lab where, sure enough, all the geeky scientists were hunched over some bit of Ancient technology.

Whoa. And Darcy thought Jane’s stuff was bad enough. Now they were theorizing wildly about ZPMs (whatever those were), the long-gone Tesseract, and Tony’s sustainable energy sources and whether or not they could get Atlantis back to the Pegasus galaxy.

“Hold your horses,” Darcy interjected. “Back to the Pegasus galaxy?”

McKay sent an annoyed glance her way. “Who let her in here?” he asked no one in particular. “And to answer your question, yes, we have to go back. We have…unfinished business. Don’t touch anything!” And before she could respond, the debate started up again, with Tony somehow pulling up his holographic diagrams and oh gods the scientific jargon was giving her a headache. Maybe it was time to find Vala.

Darcy’s eyes swept the room curiously. It honestly wasn’t all that different from Jane’s new labs in Stark Tower, or Tony’s workshop. She supposed that when it came down to it, scientists needed the same things.

Of course, not even Jane or Tony had things like the intricately designed bits of Ancient tech that McKay had scattered around his lab. Darcy tilted her head thoughtfully at one particular piece made of something that looked like sinuous curves of cast iron wrapped around a single crystal. She bent forward, balancing her hands on the lab bench on either side of it to get a better look.

The device lit up and emitted an awful sound, like a pack of wild cats yowling. Darcy let out an answering squeal of her own and rocketed backwards, banging into the shelves behind her. “Sweet baby Jesus!”

“I told you not to touch anything!” McKay shouted, dashing around the table to her side.

“I didn’t!” she protested, raising her hands up. “I swear! My hands were on the table beside it, I was just leaning in to take a look…” she trailed off at the scientists’ disgusted stare.

“Why is it always you people that activate these things?” he muttered, absolutely baffled. “First O’Neill, then Sheppard…”

“Excuse me?”

“Darcy!” Jane seized her hands and brought them closer to the device, watching with delight as the crystal glowed brighter. “You’ve got the ATA gene!”

“Um, yay?”

 

“You’re not taking my assistant away,” Coulson stated, arms crossed over his chest. If it were anyone else, Darcy would have described his or her expression as mutinous. Since it was Boss-man, well…

“No one is saying anything about taking assistants away, Agent Coulson,” Woolsey responded. “However, it does appear that Ms. Lewis’ ATA gene is quite strong, perhaps on level with Major Lorne’s…”

“Hey, I’m not going to be anyone’s lab rat, Ancient genes or no,” Darcy protested. “I don’t even know you guys!”

Agent Hill motioned for Coulson and Darcy to follow her into the hallway. “Phil, you know that liaising with Homeworld Security will be too much on top of your regular duties. You have to consider the possibility of splitting commitments, and Ms. Lewis has already proven to be quite capable.”

Darcy blinked. Had Maria Hill just complimented her? Awesome. It was about time that people started recognizing her brand of crazy genius.

Coulson just sighed.

“Boss-man!” she exclaimed, delighted. Score! She genuinely liked Phil Coulson, iPod-stealing aside, and hoped that he liked her too, rather than just tolerated her. “Don’t tell me you’ll miss me!” His eyebrow twitched.

“Don’t celebrate just yet, Ms. Lewis,” Agent Hill said crisply. “We still need to discuss this with Director Fury. If he gives his approval, you’re going to have to go in for SHIELD basic training, as well as further specialized training with Agent Coulson.”

She honestly couldn’t care less about the prospect of further training. She was being promoted, baby! Maybe that meant she actually had a chance to visit outer space on one of those spaceships General O’Neill had been talking about, not to mention going through the Stargate.

And that was how Darcy Lewis became the SHIELD liaison to Homeworld Command.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so I'm just going to ignore the Legacy book series and say that Atlantis is still on Earth. SGA Rising is better anyway - go and check it out if you haven't! They've thought out "Season Six" of SGA so, so well and the writing is brilliant.
> 
> Hopefully I've explained why Jane isn't working for the SGC as well as the relationship between Marvel!Thor and the Marvel!Asgardians versus little gray alien!Thor and the other Asgard. Plausible?
> 
> Can you just imagine what would happen if Darcy joined forces with Vala? Not to mention Teyla and Natasha?
> 
> Cam will make his appearance in the next chapter, I promise!


	3. The great exchange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cam gets injured during Darcy's first week at the SGC.

“Cameron!” Vala sang from across the mess hall. She slid easily onto the bench by his side, playfully bumping her shoulder against his. “Guess what?”

He slid his plate away from her reaching fingers and pushed a bowl of fruit her way instead. “Why don’t you just tell me, princess?”

“It’s no fun if I just tell you.”

“Yeah, but you’re gonna tell me anyway.” He crunched loudly on his bacon and grinned at her pronounced pout. Vala never was one to simply hold the gossip in.

“Our SHIELD liaison is making her first visit to the mountain,” she said in between bites of banana. Her fingernails almost matched the color of the peel. “Remember Darcy?”

Cam remembered Ms. Lewis – Agent Lewis now, he supposed. That had been one hell of a morning, meeting the freaking Avengers. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he’d done his fair share of gawking and stammering when he met Captain America. Sad to say, he and Shep had kept calling him “sir” until he gently reminded them that they outranked _him_ , and to just call him Steve.

He was on a first-name basis with _Captain America_. Wasn’t that something? Some of his best memories revolved around sitting on his Pops’ lap and leafing through a well-loved comic book together. He’d had many an adventure on the farm pretending that he was one of the Howling Commandos. In high school he’d briefly toyed with the idea of going to West Point, but the call of the sky had been too strong.

Fanboying aside, Cam’s first clear recollection of that morning was the bright, awestruck smile on the face of an as of yet unknown girl as she took in Atlantis in all of her glory. Something about that sheer, unabashed delight had caused him to slow down, his half-eaten croissant hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Not one of his best moments, but hey, Woolsey had been in charge of the proceedings. So he’d hung at the back and finished his breakfast, trying not to dance with glee over the fact that he was about to meet the Avengers.

Vala poked his side. “Cameron, you’re daydreaming again. You haven’t answered my question.”

He blinked slowly. “Didn’t I? Sorry, Vala. Yeah, I remember her. Try to behave while she’s here, all right? Last thing we need is you two stealing a spaceship and wreaking havoc on the Lucian Alliance.”

“It would serve them right, the bastards.”

That got a chuckle out of him. “You know, I think it would.” He clapped her lightly on the back as he stood, balancing his tray on his other hand. “Come on. We’ve got mission prep. Routine reconnaissance.”

She scoffed. “When is anything we ever do routine?”

 

Those words echoed through Cam’s head as Teal’c carried him through the gate eight hours later. The klaxons were blaring and General Landry was shouting something that he couldn’t quite hear. He was vaguely aware of Jackson limping just behind him – Cam had managed to take most of the blast but the archaeologist had taken a piece of shrapnel to the leg. Vala was the last to enter, coming through the gate backwards as she covered their six.

“Remind me to add ‘routine’ to the list of words never to use to describe a mission,” he slurred as Teal’c gently deposited him onto the waiting medical stretcher. Damn, but everything hurt. All of his limbs were accounted for, at the very least, and nothing appeared to be broken.

“I shall do so, Cameron Mitchell.”

“Great.” And with that, he passed out.

 

“-he was stumbling around and I thought he was completely trashed. Guy could have taken all three of us out, easy, so I tased him, you know?”

Vala’s low, warm chuckle drifted back Cam's way as he slid into wakefulness. “Tasing the God of Thunder. How very appropriate.”

“Yeah, I’ve got mad taser skills. Didn’t stop SHIELD from making me take firearms proficiency tests. I kind of suck, though. Clint gives me lessons whenever he has free time. Call.”

“Call. If you ever want to know what firing a P-90 feels like, just let me know!”

Daniel groaned. “Vala, that’s probably not the best idea. Agent Lewis-“

“Seriously doc, call me Darcy. There shall be no Agent or Ms. Lewis-ing unless we’re in a meeting. Okay? And really, I’m kind of kicking your ass in poker right now, so calling me Agent is extra weird.”

He laughed. “All right, Darcy. You’re not what I expected. And I fold.”

“You were totally expecting a suit, right? Like Coulson? Yeah, I don’t exactly fit into the SHIELD mold.” Cam’s eyes were open now and he could just make out Daniel in the next bed, with Vala perched at his feet and Teal’c and Darcy sitting beside the bed, cards in their hands. “But after reading your files, I’m thinking that’s a good thing. You need a certain brand of crazy to operate around here.”

“I shall raise,” Teal’c said solemnly. “And I do believe Cameron Mitchell is awake.”

Cam raised a hand. “Yo. Anyone bring any macaroons?”

Vala hopped off Daniel’s bed and came over, a bag in hand. “Sam sent them over especially for you.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” His throat itched something fierce and he gratefully accepted the water Teal’c passed to him. “How’s the leg, Jackson?”

“Only ten stitches,” Daniel assured him. Cameron always asked after everyone else before asking after himself. “Thanks for pushing me out of the way.”

“Anytime, man. How long until I’m out?”

“Another two to three days at least, Cam, and no gate travel for a week after that.” Carolyn Lam came into view. Her hands moved in practiced, efficient movements as she checked him over. “There wasn’t any serious internal bleeding, but I still had to sew you up. So take it easy.”

“You got it, doc.” Damn. He hated being inactive. It looked like he was going to have to haunt Jackson’s lab for a few days.

“And the rest of you, shoo.” Carolyn turned her glare on the other three. “I don’t even need to tell you what time it is. You can come back and visit later.”

Darcy stood up and stretched and damn, he definitely remembered those curves. He imagined that Botticelli would weep to paint them. “That’s probably a good idea. I have a briefing in a few hours, yay.” She mock-saluted Cam from the other side of Daniel’s bed. “Glad to see you’re all right.”

“Sorry we couldn’t give you a proper greeting,” he offered.

Her grin was wide and easy. “There’s plenty of time for that, flyboy.”

Was that a promise? Before he could think on that further, Vala touched his arm.

“You heard Carolyn. Enjoy your macaroons and go to sleep. We’ll be back.” She turned back to Daniel and squeezed his hand before walking off with Darcy. They made a pretty picture walking away and what was that phrase? _I hate to see you leave, but I love to watch you go_ – yeah, that was it. Teal’c nodded at his teammates and followed.

Cam turned back to Carolyn and looked hopefully at the macaroons. “One before I sleep?” he wheedled.

She rolled her eyes fondly. “Yes, Cam, you may have one. I’ll be back to check on you both in the morning, all right?”

He already had a cookie in his mouth and just nodded, mumbling. Sam’s macaroons got better and better each time. They weren’t quite like his grandma’s, but they were close.

“That’s classy,” Daniel remarked, putting his glasses away.

“Shut it, Jackson. You heard the good doc, go to sleep.”

He could rest easy now. His team was okay, he was okay. Everything was all right in the Cam’s universe – for now.

 

It was mid-afternoon and Cam was bored. General Landry had come down for a full mission debriefing before lunch, but Carolyn had released Jackson shortly after that and he was pretty much alone.

Cam hated recovery time. It brought back memories of long, hazy, medication-filled days and endless hours of pain and PT. Hospital rooms always made him twitchy. He needed to be active. Teal’c had brought him some backed-up paperwork, but even that was finished now. He contemplated eating another macaroon, but decided against it. He wanted to make them last.

“You look like you could use some company.”

He looked up to find Darcy Lewis regarding him with an amused and all too knowing gaze. “That obvious, huh?”

“Yeah, you look like you’d be climbing the ceilings if you could.” She pulled over a chair. “Lucky for you, I’m used to baby-sitting a bunch of whining superheroes who have no concept of bed rest.”

Cam chuckled. “Not that I’m not grateful, ma’am, but don’t SHIELD liaisons have lots of commitments on their hands?”

She looked horrified. “First all of the Ms. Lewises, then the agents, and now ma’am? Flyboy, you’d better call me Darcy or I’ll march right out of here.”

“Well, I can’t have that.” He wasn’t that starved for company, honestly. SG-1 had a tendency to hang around the infirmary when one of their members was laid up. It was a matter of time before one of them bounced in. But who was he to turn down the chance to meet someone new – and such entertaining, good-looking brand of new at that?

“Uh-huh. Say my name.”

He couldn’t resist. “Sure thing, Darcy.” He drew out the vowel sound only slightly, his accent coming through. Surprisingly enough, she flushed. Well, how about that?

“And don’t you forget it.” She began removing her shoes – little feminine things that made her legs go on for miles. “To answer your previous question, I have a free hour or so. Vala’s trying to drag Daniel out of his lab and I thought I’d leave them to their tension-filled bickering.”

“Ah, so you noticed.”

“You’d have to be blind not to.” They both shook their heads in mutual exasperation.

“So, how long are you with us?”

“Until the end of the week. SHIELD has me on one-week rotations with you lot so that I can familiarize myself with the marvelous inner workings of Homeworld Command.”

That made sense. “So, you just finished in D.C.?”

She nodded. “Yeah, sure, you betcha.” She winked. “I spent a lot of time shadowing Jack, if you can’t tell.”

Cam was sure that there were a lot of interesting stories there. It seemed like the two of them would get along like a house on fire. “Did you two have a lot of fun tying the IOA’s panties in a bunch?” he asked knowingly.

Darcy tossed her head back and laughed. “Yeah, something like that. I’ve never met the Council, but I’ve heard enough stories to know that they’re all cut from the same cloth.” She shrugged. “The idea of civilian oversight is a good idea in theory, but…” She shook her head. “You don’t want to hear me babble about these things.”

“Why not?”

“Political science major. I could go on for hours, seriously.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” Surprisingly enough, he really didn’t think he would.

“Some other time. That was some entrance you made yesterday, flyboy.”

“Were you in the control room?” She nodded. “Ah. Ass-backwards, draped over Teal’c’s shoulder, and bleeding all over the gate room floor. Hell of a first impression.”

“You can say that. Are things always so dramatic here? I’d only been in for about an hour or so before all the alarms went off and Walter started yelling about unscheduled gate activations.”

“You’ve worked with the Avengers, so you tell me. D.C. is probably the quietest it ever gets. You going to Atlantis after this?”

“Yep, and then a week on the General Hammond to round it all out.” Her eyes sparkled at the thought. “I’m going to be flying on a freaking spaceship. My inner Trekker is beside itself.”

“Technically, our ships travel via hyperdrive, so it’s more like Star Wars.” He reached over for the bag of macaroons and offered it to her. “Macaroon?”

She shook her head. “Not a fan of coconut, but thanks.”

His eyes widened comically. “You don’t like coconut? And here I was beginning to think that you were the perfect woman.”

“The perfect woman, eh?” That bright grin of hers turned a little shy and damn it all if it wasn’t the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. “How do you figure?”

“Midwestern, tased the God of Thunder…” He ticked them off on his fingers. “Sounds pretty good to me. Although the whole coconut thing might just be a deal breaker.”

“What- how did you know I’m from the Midwest?” Cam tapped his ear and she laughed, delighted. “All right, you got me. Wisconsin born and raised. My dad even makes cheese.”

“No kidding?”

“Nope. What about you, flyboy?” Her eyes narrowed. “No wait, don’t tell me. Hold on, say ma’am again.”

“Thought you didn’t want me to call you ma’am.” Even sitting, he managed to dodge her punch. “Hey, I’m injured here!”

“I’ll show you injured…Kansas boy.”

Now that was impressive. “Got it. So, your daddy makes cheese…that make you a farm girl?”

“I can drive a tractor, if that’s what you mean.” Darcy smirked.

“Hey, that’s sexy.”

“Damn straight.” She caught sight of the clock on the wall and groaned. “Ugh, I’ve got another meeting. It’s been fun.” She slipped her feet – tiny, delicate feet – back into her shoes and stood. “I’ll see you around, flyboy.”

“The name’s Cameron, you know,” he called after her.

Darcy turned her head and there was an absolutely wicked curve to those fire engine red lips. “I know.”

For the second time in two days, Cam watched as she walked away. She was wearing a pencil skirt, and his gaze locked on her six like a heat-seeking missile. His head fell back onto his pillow with a thump.

“Aw, damn, that’s trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm still trying to get into the swing of this story, trying to get the right tone. Darcy and Cam's conversation came quite easily though. I like this pairing more and more...
> 
> Also, Cam/Vala friendship? Awesome.


	4. Silver wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy and Cam dance around and Darcy goes through the 'Gate.

Colonel Cameron Mitchell was trouble with a capital T. She’s known that from the moment he’d opened his mouth and that slow, Kansas drawl came out, as dark and sweet as molasses. It was kind of silly, but there was something about those long, liquid syllables that made her knees weak and always had. That was why she’d had a bit of a crush on Clint as well. There was something about Midwestern boys with their easy confidence and good manners, or perhaps she was just biased.

Bias or no, Cam made her just a teensy bit nervous. And the _butterflies_! She hadn’t felt butterflies since sophomore year of high school when she dated Dan Ravino.

She genuinely liked the guy. It wasn’t a hardship to spend her free time with him in the infirmary. They bonded over a mutual love for Saturday morning tailgates, summer bonfire nights spent catching fireflies, and big, dumb farm dogs. She found his stories about his grandma cute, even if she did give him hell about them. Cam gave as good as he got, ribbing her about her attempts to make Teal’c smile ( _“What? It’s even better than the guards at Buckingham Palace!”_ ).

It was even easier to spend time with him now that he was out of the infirmary. When she wasn’t in meetings with General Landry or interviewing SG teams about their experiences, she was reading mission reports in Daniel’s office or being coached on her eventual trip through the Stargate by Vala and Teal’c. More often than not, Cam was there as well, playing Mario Kart on his Gameboy and trying to talk them all into a game of basketball. No one took him up on it though, lest they face Carolyn’s wrath.

Darcy tossed a pencil his way as Vala pestered Daniel in the background. She’d tried to escape them once by trying to Kelno’reem with Teal’c, but that had gone over about as well as attempting yoga with Bruce. She was not cut out for the whole serenity thing. “Hey. Flyboy.”

“Aw, man! You made me slip on a banana peel!”

“Hey, don’t blame your videogame failings on me.”

“Darling, I do what I want.” The endearment slipped out, causing both of them to go slightly pink around the edges. Cam cleared his throat. “What can I do for ya?”

She could think of several things he could do for her, like talk to her in that shiver-inducing drawl until she was a vaguely Darcy-shaped puddle on the floor. Focus, Darcy. “I’ve gotten a lot advice about going through the Stargate, but none from you. Why is that?”

There was a pause as he mulled over her question. She liked that he took the time to think about what he said. “Way I see it, everyone’s experience through the gate is different. There’s nothing you can do to prepare for it until you’ve gone through. After that-“ he shrugged. “It’s up to you.”

“Sage advice, swami. That did not help.” But she smiled to take the sting away.

Cam looked at her steadily, blue eyes solemn. “You nervous, Darce?”

“Noooo…”

She was startled when he laid a hand over hers. “Hey, relax. You’ve got this. You’re fearless.”

One dark eyebrow arced upward in disbelief. “Where’d you get that idea? Because I was scared shitless when I tased Thor. Don’t get me wrong, it was cool in hindsight and obviously makes for a good icebreaker-”

“Stop babbling, Darce.” He made sure that she was focused on him before continuing. “You’re fearless because you do what you gotta do despite your fears. You were scared of Thor, but you took him down because he was a threat to you and your friends. You started working for SHIELD despite your misgivings-“

“-mostly about Boss-man.”

“-because you wanted to help people. And now you’re about to step through a wormhole to visit a planet light years away despite the fact that it’s a goddamn wormhole.”

“Why?” she questioned.

He leaned forward. “You tell me.”

Darcy chewed on her lower lip. “Because I might have to use a Stargate to do my job for SHIELD and Homeworld Command. Because I might need to use one the save the world, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” His laugh bolstered her, made warmth spread from her fingers all the way down to her toes. “Because…because it’s a wormhole and it’s going to take me to another freaking _planet_!” she exclaimed triumphantly. 

“I told ya. Fearless.”

“Something like that.” She glanced down and realized that his hand was still covering hers, and now his thumb was moving in slow, soothing circles on her skin. His fingers were callused from years of flying planes and handling his P-90, and the rough rasp of them made her break out into goose bumps.

Darcy let out a breath and gathered the courage to peer up at Cam through her eyelashes. His face was utterly still, but his _eyes_ …his eyes had gone bright, sparkling blue, like the water around Atlantis.

“You and I are gonna have to have a talk.”

 _Oh boy_. Her heart was thundering in her ears like a steam engine. “Are we?”

His thumb stopped circling. “I was kinda thinking that we were on the same page, Darce. You telling me differently?”

“I…” Her voice trailed off. “I’m not sure what to think, Cam.” The flirty banter was awesome, but those damn butterflies were getting stronger and stronger and did she mention the fact that she’d really only met him four days ago? She was leaving the mountain in three days and had no idea when she’d return.

“Hey.” Now those fingers were below her chin, tilting her up so that they could see one another. She was expecting anger but found only a wealth of understanding. “You let me know when you do, all right?”

She nodded.

“Great.” And with that, the goofball was back. Cam hopped off his stool and made for the door. “It’s time for my checkup! Jackson, we up for some b-ball?”

“Not unless Carolyn clears you.”

“Aw, come on Jackson, you’re killing me! I gotta move!”

Daniel looked up from his desk. “And Carolyn _can_ kill you if you do something stupid and aggravate your injuries. Don’t you want to go back through the gate?”

Cam just threw his hands up and jogged away.

Vala watched with interest as Darcy’s head collided with the work surface with a dull thud. “Well,” she commented. “This should be interesting.”

“What?” Daniel asked, already absorbed in his work. “And Vala, please, get off my desk.”

“Darcy and Cameron.”

“What about Darcy and Cam?”

“They’re doing that funny dancing thing. Like us.”

“I’m sorry, what?” He blinked owlishly at her. “Dancing? Us?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Daniel. When two people are attracted to one another and have, for some inexplicable reason, not declared their feelings in that regard, they have a tendency to dance around before they commence a relationship. That’s what your television has taught me, anyway.”

Daniel felt his throat seize tight. “There’s no dancing, Vala.” His voice came out harsher than he intended due to the panic. “I can’t even imagine what…” _A relationship with you would be like_. Except that was kind of a lie, wasn’t it?

“No, no, of course not.” The space pirate smiled far too brightly and stood up. “Silly me, what was I thinking?” She strolled towards the door, eager to put as much distance between her and Daniel as possible. “I’m going to see if there’s any chocolate cake in the mess hall. Would you like to join me, Darcy?”

“In a minute, Vala. I’ll catch up with you.” Darcy sat up and removed the piece of paper that was stuck to her forehead. Then she glared at Daniel. “No offense, Daniel, but you’re a twat.”

“Huh?” He was still trying to process what was going on.

She closed her folder and stood, tucking it under her arm. At least she and Cam knew what was going on. “You’re like Cap. Neither of you have any idea how to talk to women.” And with that, she sailed out.

“What just happened?” Daniel asked the empty air in his office.

 

The seventh chevron locked and the gate exploded outward. _Kawoosh_.

Darcy couldn’t help it – she jumped back with a squeak. She’d seen quite a few gate activations over the past five days, but always from the control room. Now, she was actually going to step _through that rippling surface and end up on another planet._

Cam’s hand was warm at the base of her spine. “Relax, Darce,” he murmured in her ear.

“I wish you were coming with me, Cam,” she whispered. She would have felt better, knowing that his warm presence was beside her.

“Me too, darling. But hey, you’ve got Vala and Teal’c.” No amount of pleading could get Carolyn to budge. As long as he was healing, he was not going through the gate, even for a few hours and on a non-mission.

She blew out a breath. “Yeah, I know.” She glanced at the Jaffa. “I’m not going to have to fight someone to get your friends to respect me, right?”

“No, Darcy Lewis, but it would help.” Teal’c smiled slightly.

“Teal’c, you _joked_ with me!” she exclaimed, briefly forgetting her anxiety.

General Landry cleared his voice over the comm. “Agent Lewis, are you ready to proceed?”

And with that, her stomach dropped. That thing was going to take her apart and put her back together…wait, was that a transporter? Her head was all muddled now. “Uh, yeah. Let’s go.” She smoothed a hand over her green BDUs and turned to look at Cam with an anxious look. “Walk me up there?”

“Of course.”

The water-like surface of the event horizon was mesmerizing. She reached out to touch it, then jerked back at the last second.

“Darcy, would you like us to go together? Or do you want Muscles and I to go before you so that we’re waiting?” Vala’s voice was gentle.

“Together would be nice.” Darcy craned her head to look at Cam. “You’ll be waiting for me when I get back?”

His eyes were warm. “You know I will.” Hands settled on her shoulders to make her face forward. “Remember, fearless. Now, take a deep breath.”

She closed her eyes and was about to oblige, but before she could inhale, he pushed her gently through the gate.

“-son of a motherfucking _bitch_!” Darcy shouted as she stumbled out the other side. “I’m going to tase that idiot until he’s twitching and drooling on the floor!” She heard Vala’s muffled laugh from behind her and caught sight of the group waiting at the base of the stairs. _Damn it, Darcy. And damn you, flyboy. Way to make a first impression_. She waved weakly. “Hello. I’m Agent Darcy Lewis.” At least that was better than, “Oh, hi.”

The old man with kind eyes and a wry smile stepped forward. “I am ever surprised by the behavior of the Tau’ri. Greetings. I am Bra’tac. Welcome to Dakara.”

And _son of a biscuit_ , she was really on another planet! Darcy craned her head around in absolute awe and delight, taking in the red-brown landscape and the ring of structures that looked like a cross between Greek temples and early Maya pyramids. And there were freaking _spaceships_ overhead. “Dakara. Wow. I…I’m honored to be here.”

Bra’tac’s smile was more genuine at her compliment. He turned to greet Teal’c and Vala before gesturing forward. “Come. We will…give you a tour?”

“That would be fantastic. Lead the way, Bra’tac.” She bounded down the stairs.

Did she mention that she loved her job?

 

“Jane, you wouldn’t believe it. It was completely insane but oh my god, so freaking cool!” Darcy flopped back on her bed, phone clutched tight to her ear.

“Describe _everything_ Darcy. I’m so jealous!”

“Okay. Um…well, you know how the whole dialing and activating thing works but the actual event horizon is gorgeous, Jane. It’s like water, all glowing and gleaming. Going through it is like a roller coaster times about a million. I seriously thought my internal organs were bouncing around inside of me. It was like it took forever but…not. Does that even make sense?”

There was a giggle on the other side. “Not really, but I can sort of imagine. What was it like on the other side?”

“Dakara was unbelievable! Wait, this is a secure line, right?”

“Darce, you’re thirty stories underground in a facility that’s been kept secret for over ten years. I’m in Stark Tower. I’m pretty sure we’re all right, but I can ask JARVIS to make doubly sure if you want.”

“Hey, if the SGC and JARVIS can’t make it safe, I don’t know who can. But yeah, back to Dakara. Jane, picture Tatooine from Star Wars, minus the two suns.” She rattled off descriptions left and right, knowing that she’d have to put it all down into a report for Fury later on anyway. “And the Jaffa were so cool. Thor would get along with them for sure. They share the same ideas regarding honor and battle and all that jazz.”

“He did seem to get along with Teal’c, didn’t he?” Jane mused. “Darce, I can’t believe you managed to make it to another planet before me!”

“Says the girl who’s got a trip scheduled to Asgard!”

“Not in the immediate future! So, any chance you’re abandoning us for Homeworld Command?”

She rolled onto her stomach and kicked her sock-clad feet in the air. “Well, I’m not going to lie, I totally rock the BDUs. Even if the vest kind of squashes the girls.” She pursed her lips. “And going through the Stargate? Unbelievable. I’d love to go through again. But you know what? I like what I’m doing, you know? Trying to see how we can all help each other out. Getting contingency plans together if things go to hell in a hand basket, which, considering all that I’ve read about the SGC and what the Avengers get up to, happens more often than we think!”

Jane sounded relieved. “Thank goodness. It’s bad enough that you’re going to be dividing your time between New York, D.C., Cheyenne Mountain, and Atlantis. I couldn’t stand it if you disappeared beneath that mountain forever!” She paused. “Or, if we got Atlantis going, to another galaxy.”

“Yeah, I’m totally going to call pot, kettle on that. Now that Homeworld Command has you, you’re going to be flying to Atlantis and Area 51 too!”

“Speaking of which, I’ll see you in Atlantis in two days, all right? Betty wanted to check some things with your ATA gene.”

“Again with the lab rat thing! I love you guys, but come on. I can make things flash, big deal.”

“Um, it kind of is a big deal, Darce. There are only so many people with the ATA gene. General O’Neill, Colonel Sheppard, and Major Lorne can’t be everywhere, you know.”

“What, and I can?” She’d read all about the Battle of Antarctica (lingering on the report of Cam’s heroics and subsequent injury) and frankly, the idea of sitting in any kind of weapons chair sort of terrified her. “Jane, can we talk about this later, please? I’ve already got a lot of things to think about and I’d rather not add this to the mix. We can talk about it all we want when we’re at Atlantis, okay?”

The good thing about Jane was that while she could be stubborn, she knew when to back down. “Sure thing, Darce. Are you going on any more trips through the Stargate before you leave?”

Darcy leapt on the change in subject. “Oh, definitely. I’m going to the Alpha Site tomorrow to check out its facilities.” She knew what the Alpha Site represented in terms of Earth’s safety and the continued survival of humanity, but she hoped to goodness that they’d never have to use it. Still, SHIELD needed to know what was there as well as all of the evacuation procedures. “Vala’s promised a surprise for my last day. Hopefully somewhere beautiful and relaxing.” And maybe she could convince Carolyn to let Cam come so that she was with all of SG-1 for this last (but hopefully not final) trip through the Stargate.

“I would say take pictures, but you probably can’t.”

“I’ll take mental ones and tell you all about it, I swear.”

“You’d better!” Someone spoke to her in the background. “Oops, Darce, I have to go. We’ve got a lab meeting. I’ll see you in Atlantis, okay? Try not to run away with any flyboys, okay?”

One particular flyboy came to mind. “No promises!” she laughed, and hung up.

 

P2L-211 was _gorgeous_. It was actually a vaguely Earth-sized moon orbiting a gas giant similar to Saturn. If Darcy could compare it to anything, she’d say it was like Naboo, all lush and green and full of lakes.

There were also Ancient ruins on the planet, which was why General Landry cleared them to go - even Cam. It had taken a lot of persuasion, but Carolyn had finally relented and allowed him to go through the gate. Darcy was quite proud of herself. Now she could get a firsthand look at some of the history of the Milky Way and relax in a beautiful setting with all of her favorite team. It was a win-win situation.

Well, sort of. Vala still wasn’t quite speaking to Daniel after his gaff in the office, so it fell to Darcy to act as the archaeologist’s assistant as they poked around the ruins. She would rather go exploring with Cam and perhaps get a bit lost because she _still_ hadn’t kissed the man and she really, really wanted to.

Still, Daniel was a great guy to be around, even if he was unbelievably biased and oblivious when it came to his feelings for Vala. He was a font of knowledge and had a way of explaining things that she could actually understand (but then again, he wasn't trying to explain science). She was even able to get the general gist of the writing on the wall. It was nice to know that that minor in Latin had actually proved to be handy.

“We’ll miss you when you go to Atlantis, you know,” Daniel commented, shining his flashlight against a row of text.

She snorted. “You guys are not going to be rid of me so easily. SHIELD liaison, remember? I’m going to be popping around all the time. You guys just need to make sure that you’re on the planet.”

He grinned. “We’ll try.” He sobered slightly. “About Vala-“

“Oh no, Daniel, I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole.” She turned to face him, hands planted firmly on her hips. “That’s something you need to figure out, okay?” How could a grown man look so crestfallen? “Ugh. Just…you’ve got blinders on when it comes to her, okay? Things will be a lot clearer if you just take them off and _look_ at her. That’s all I’m saying.”

Cam ducked into the little space. “Yo Jackson, you finished here? We’ve got a picnic set out by the lake.”

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Sure. There isn’t much here anyway, just a genealogy…” But he looked thoughtful as he followed them out, so Darcy hoped she done her friends a little bit of good.

Vala had managed to smuggle bagged lunches from the mess rather than MREs, so it was a pretty good picnic. The sun was high in the sky, rays bouncing off the surface of the lake, making the perfect setting. The conversation flowed easily between all of them and if Darcy closed her eyes, it was almost as though she was a member of SG-1.

“ _Well_ ,” Vala said sometime later. “I fancy a hike around the lake. Muscles, are you coming? And Daniel-“ the archaeologist started, because it was the first time she’d actually addressed him in days. “You ought to come too.”

“But I…” He saw her pointed glare and then looked between Cam and Darcy, who were hiding smiles. “Oh.” He got to his feet. “All right.”

“Behave, you two!” Vala winked and skipped away.

“That’s our Vala,” Cam observed as the sounds of their trek faded away in the underbrush. “So subtle.”

She flicked a crumb away from her vest. “Yeah, like you’re going to complain about that right now.”

His gaze swept her from head to toe, dark and appreciative, and Darcy couldn’t help it – she reddened. “Nah, not really.”

Before he could reach for her, she put a restraining hand on his chest (and hello, muscles!). “Maybe we should have that talk now.”

“All right,” he said agreeably. “It’s pretty simple on this end. You’re incredible, Darcy Lewis, and I’d like to get to know you a whole lot better.”

She had to bite her lip to stop her grin from cracking her face in two. Cam’s gaze dropped to her mouth and wow, it just got a lot hotter. “Same here. Is it really that simple?”

“Yep.” He ran a hand along her braid and pulled the tie out, grinning as brown hair spilled down her back. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Darcy hummed in agreement. She could deal with that. “Well, I know how I’d like things to go right now.”

“Oh yeah?” He smiled lazily. “How’s that?”

She pushed him down into the blanket. “You. Me. Kissing for hours.”

Cam rolled her onto her back. “Now that sounds like a plan, darling.” _Holy something_. His voice had gone deep and rough and the butterflies were definitely back. He kissed the corner of her mouth softly, then slowly traced the seam between her upper and lower lips with his tongue. “Been wanting to do that since I first saw you.” He caught her bottom lip between his teeth before he went for the opposite corner of her mouth.

“Really?” Ooh. It sounded like she’d been running a marathon.

“Really.” His lips were on the underside of her jaw now – not really where she wanted them to be, even if they felt amazing there.

“Damn it, Cam, come here,” Darcy growled, tightening her hands around his head.

“Yes ma’am.” When his mouth settled, open and hungry, on hers, Darcy felt her heart hitch, trip, and tumble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. I watched a LOT of Cam videos to inspire me for this chapter and...unnnnnf. Ben Browder, you gorgeous man you. Please excuse me...I'm going to stand in this corner and be frustrated.
> 
> Next stop, Atlantis! (But the Darcy/Cam goodness is not going to stop, oh no...)
> 
> I forgot who it was who mentioned Darcy and making faces at the guards at the Buck...or was that something else? And the phrase "son of a biscuit" was borrowed from the fabulous seren_ccd.


	5. Sea calls my name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy flies a Puddle Jumper and plays laser tag.

“Barton’s late,” Cam observed, tilting his head back to examine the early morning sunrise over Cheyenne Mountain. 

“That anxious to be rid of me, flyboy?” Darcy teased. She had already said her goodbyes to General Landry, Teal’c, Daniel, and Vala, and the team had elected to give the two some privacy.

“Hell no, sweetheart. He can be as late as he wants.” One arm slid along her waist to tuck her against his side. “I like having you here.”

 _I like being here_. Darcy closed her eyes and breathed deep, taking in the warmth and smell of him. He smelled of summer rain and freshly cut grass. He smelled like home.

She still wondered at how quickly they’d stumbled into this…thing. But then she stood back to have a look at him and it wasn’t much of a question anymore. Cam was real, solid, and strong. Cam lived and breathed his work but somehow managed not to be consumed by it. He had a way of locking his gaze onto you and making you feel like you were the only one he could see.

All Darcy knew was that he saw everything she was and appreciated it. She wasn’t going to say the “l” word because that was a little too soon, but she could see herself using it sooner rather than later. The thought should have been terrifying, but beyond a small twinge of anxiety, she knew that she was looking forward to it.

Huh. When had she become such an adult?

Her eyes popped open at the sound of engines overhead. “That’s my ride,” she said, turning into him so that he could embrace her fully. “You guys have a mission later this week, don’t you?”

“Yeah, the Lucian Alliance has been stirring up trouble. We’re going to go and meet some of Princess’ old contacts, see what’s going on.”

“Be careful, all right?” She had to raise her voice as the Quinjet came down. “I don’t want you coming through the gate all shot up again.”

“No promises.” Cam grinned. “You behave in Atlantis, you hear? And give Sam my love when you see her on the _Hammond_.”

Darcy wiggled her eyebrows. “No promises! And hey, no love for me?”

His hand came up to cup the side of her face. “It’s right here.” His eyes searched hers for a moment. “Damn,” he muttered, his voice tinged with wonder. “Like looking into the sky.”

 _Swoon_. He moved in before she could react, lips moving urgently over hers. Cam kissed with intent, completely present in the moment and focused on her. His hands never stopped moving, stroking along her hair, the back of her neck, over her jawline. She pressed herself against him, fingers tightening on his BDUs as she fought to get closer. She felt rather than heard his groan, and then she was hauled up on her tiptoes as he made it his mission to kiss her thoroughly.

The hydraulic hiss of the Quinjet’s ramp coming down was their signal to pull apart, but Cam lingered, rubbing his nose teasingly against hers before he let her go. “Damn, Darcy. You trying to get me shot? Barton’s probably got his sights on me now and I don’t fancy an arrow to the backside.”

“Awww. I’ll protect you.” She smoothed out his jacket. “Keep in touch, all right? I’ll probably see you in a few weeks.”

“I can’t wait.” He waved until the ramp closed behind her.

Inside, Darcy found Jane and Betty waiting, expressions ranging from indignant to amused. “Darcy, when did that happen?” Jane demanded as she strapped herself in. “You didn’t say a thing!”

“Do I need to have a few words with him?” Clint called as the Quinjet took off.

“You do that, Clint, and you’re going to find some pretty nasty surprises in the air vents of Stark Tower, see if you don’t.” His big, deep, belly laugh drifted back towards her. “And Jane…it just sort of happened.”

“Spill!”

“Aw hell, are you girls going to be gossiping the entire way to Atlantis?”

“Shut up, Clint!”

 

Darcy hit the ground hard. She let out a token “oof,” as she swept her legs around, trying to knock Teyla’s feet out from under her. The Athosian woman simply jumped nimbly back, forcing Darcy to roll back up and try attacking again. She saw the kick coming in towards her left and blocked it, moving into Teyla’s space to try and get her with a good, solid punch to the gut. It was also blocked, and Teyla rolled into her to try and flip her over her back.

She twisted out of her grip, aiming a side kick to her kidneys that just barely connected. Teyla was fast – almost as fast as Natasha, but she moved in a way that was difficult to predict. And like Natasha, she didn’t hold back. Darcy had to use everything she’d learned – to attack, to assess, to evade – just to keep herself from being pounded into the floor. She’d had a good teacher though, and managed to get a few decent kicks and blows in.

Teyla eventually won, pinning her firmly to the floor. Darcy struggled a bit, trying to find any way to escape, but damn, the woman had an iron grip and even firmer footing. “Do you yield?” Teyla asked softly.

“I yield. The floor’s kind of cold.”

There was a smattering of applause as Teyla hauled Darcy to her feet. “I’m impressed," Sheppard remarked. “Teyla had us all begging for mercy within a few seconds, those first few weeks we were in Atlantis.”

Darcy stretched, wincing as a rather prominent bruise on her shoulder blade made itself known. “Yeah, well, you didn’t have Black Widow beating up on you before you left.”

“Natasha has taught you well, Darcy. I will enjoy sparring with you during your stay.”

The thought of continual sparring with Teyla made her want to cry, but she knew that Natasha would absolutely kill her if she didn’t do any training. Besides, maybe she’d learn some new tricks. “Thanks, Teyla. It’s a date.”

“I’m calling Darcy for our team during the training exercises,” Sheppard said.

Teyla nodded. “Yes, that would be a good idea.”

“Training exercises?” Darcy echoed. That did not sound good.

Sheppard ran a hand through his hair and holy Popsicle sticks, how did it manage to stay up like that? “Our teams are only on a limited rotation through Cheyenne Mountain and we don’t want to get complacent. Hence, training exercises here in the city.”

“Meaning what?”

He grinned like a ten-year-old boy. “Meaning a combination of Capture the Flag and laser tag.”

“Oh dear god.” She shook her head. “And Woolsey approved it?”

“Yeah, because we were all driving him crazy.” Teyla sent him a pointed look and he made a “who, me?” expression. “Okay, I admit, some of the pranks got a little bit out of hand.”

“A little bit?” Ronon spoke up from his place in the corner where he was polishing his stun gun. “McKay was orange for five days.”

“You have to admit, he made a great Oompa Loompa.”

Darcy laughed. “You guys are terrible. You’re just like Tony, Bruce, and Clint.”

“Now _that_ sounds like a party.”

“How about not.” She shuddered to think of the destruction if all of them got together. Heaven help anyone in that blast radius. “But I’m totally in.”

“Great!” Sheppard rubbed his hands together. “Now. Flying lessons.”

Her eyes went round. “What?”

“You’ve got the ATA gene – we’re going to teach you how to fly a Puddle Jumper. Just in case. I want to get an idea of your capabilities, Rodney’s mumbo-jumbo aside.”

Well, if she was going to be a lab rat, at least she was going to get something cool out of it.

 

The Puddle Jumper skimmed along the surface of the gleaming, sun-streaked water, banking smoothly to the left to avoid one of Atlantis’ piers before shooting up into the air.

Inside, Darcy whooped. “Awwww, hell yeah!”

“Oh my god, Darcy,” Jane whimpered from behind her. “My stomach!”

“Relax, Dr. Foster,” Sheppard assured her. “Darcy’s a natural.”

“Because I can control it with my freaking _mind_!” She took the Jumper up high to get a better look at the city. Atlantis had a way of taking your breath away no matter how many times you saw it. She couldn’t count the number of times when she saw expedition members – people who’d lived there for years – looking around with sheer wonder. “What do you think, Sheppard?” she asked, running a hand along the control panel. She could have sworn that the Jumper hummed in response. “Think I could keep one of these beautiful babies as my own?”

He drummed his fingers on his lap. “That’s probably not possible,” he admitted. “But I’ll tell you what, you can take them for a spin whenever you’re here. Just get one of us to come with you.”

“Hey, I’ll settle for that. You’re a peach.” She eyed the water below. “Think I can take her down into the ocean?”

Sheppard smirked. “Sure. Just put the shield up first.”

“ _Sweet_.”

“Oh no,” Jane mumbled as the jumper plunged down.

“Aw, come on, Jane!” There was only the slightest jolt as it disappeared underwater. She flicked the lights on. “We’re underwater! It’s like a submarine, only much, much better! Holy cow, are those whales?”

“They like Atlantis,” Sheppard remarked idly. “They sing to her and I’m pretty sure she sings back.”

Jane leaned forward, anxiety forgotten. “I’ve wondered!” she exclaimed, suddenly breathless with excitement. “Is Atlantis sentient?”

He shook his head. “Not in the way that you mean. She’s…aware. She recognizes things.”

“Like you.” Darcy had read the files. Atlantis _loved_ John Sheppard.

“Sure. In a way.” Atlantis sang to him, too, when the nights seemed a little too dark and cold and hopeless and he thought back to all that had been left behind in the Pegasus galaxy.

The Puddle Jumper had been still for quite some time, and the pod moved closer to investigate. They all but danced in the water, to the delight of those inside. Darcy held her breath as one humpback whale, old and giant, almost seemed to peer into the window. She could almost hear their song, low and mournful and heartbreakingly beautiful, seeping through the walls of the jumper.

There was a happy sigh from the back. “How is this my life?”

Darcy wondered that as well. Only two years ago, she’d been a struggling fifth-year senior, unsure of where the hell she was going in life. Since then she met her best friend, tased a god, finished school, got a job, and picked up a pack of superheroes along the way. And now? Well, the situation spoke for itself. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure that it was real. “That’s a question for the ages, babe.”

 

_Hey there flyboy,_

_I flew a jumper today. I think I understand you a little bit better now. It’s still got nothing on the Stargate, though. Teyla’s consistently kicking my ass, but since I train with Natasha, that’s nothing new. Atlantis might be giving Thor a run for his money when it comes to Jane’s affections. I think she’d marry both of them if she could._

_Betty, Jen, and McKay looked over my DNA and have concluded that I’m somewhere around Major Lorne’s level. Fine by me, I wouldn’t want Sheppard getting jealous about Atlantis transferring all her love to me. He mentioned that she sings, and I think I’ve heard her._

_Singing cities. My god. Someone throw me in the loony bin, now. I wonder if I can hook her up with JARVIS?_

_I know you’re leaving soon. Take care. Get hurt and I_ will _break your face, pretty as it is. I won’t treat you to any macaroons, either._

_Love,  
Darcy_

_P.S. – Tell everyone hi for me._

_Hello yourself, beautiful,_

_There’s nothing like being up there in the blue, isn’t it? There’s a silence up there like nothing you ever know. But if you listen hard enough, it kind of whispers to you. Kind of like how Atlantis is singing to you. The Stargate is something else, though. I only liked flying so much because I didn’t know it was out there._

_Somehow, I don’t think Thor would mind sharing Jane with Atlantis. He seemed pretty taken with her, himself. She’s a pretty lady. Don’t tell Shep I said that, because he does get jealous._

_Sweetheart, you know I’d be right there alongside you in the loony bin. I travel through wormholes for a living, remember? At least we’d be in good company._

_My pretty face will be waiting for you. Macaroons are optional._

_Love,  
Cam_

_P.S. – Jackson grunted, Teal’c nodded, and Vala rattled off something that’s way too long for me to fit in here. That good enough?_

 

“Did you really have to insist on the black face paint, Darcy?” Jane whispered as she crept along behind Darcy. “I’m a scientist, not a commando. And it’s dark. I can’t see a darn thing.”

“Aw, come on Jane, it’s all in good fun. Look, Betty’s all into it.”

The geneticist smiled. “This is great. I never get to shoot things.” Her finger stroked over the trigger and Darcy wondered just how many times the woman had wanted to shoot her father. She didn't blame her.

“Shhh.” Ronon hushed them. “You’re too loud.”

They were navigating one of the towers on the South Pier, protecting their flag and hoping that Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay had zeroed in on the location of the other team’s hiding spot. The other team in the training exercise consisted of Major Lorne’s squad plus Jen and Dr. Beckett (sure, he was a clone, but he was Dr. Beckett to her).

“Hey there troopers, how are you doing?” Sheppard’s voice was quiet in her earpiece. “We’ve taken out Stevens and Reed on Lorne’s team. I think they’ve split up again, so keep your eyes peeled.”

“We’re still alive,” Darcy replied cheerfully.

“Not if you keep being so loud,” Ronon muttered. His hand came up as soft footsteps echoed up ahead. “Incoming.” He glanced at Darcy. “All right, show me what SHIELD taught you. The hallway splits up ahead and joins back. We’ll meet up. Ross is with you, Foster’s with me. Try not to get killed.”

“Roger that.” They went their separate ways at the T. There was a 50% chance that they would encounter whoever was coming their way, and Darcy hoped she’d be able to get her licks in. It was almost like when she went paintballing with the Avengers, only more fun and stealthy and less stingy and messy.

“Okay Betty,” she said as they moved along. “I need you to be ready to cover our six if anyone tries to pop up behind us.”

“Got it.”

“Cool, now keep your eyes peeled for-“ Her vest lit up. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” She turned around and Betty’s was flashing as well. “I didn’t even get to shoot anyone!”

“Sorry, Agent Lewis.” Major Lorne came trotting out of the shadows with Reed and Dr. Beckett on his heels. He looked genuinely contrite.

She sighed. “Nah, you got us fair and square.” She waved them on and turned her attention to her earpiece. “Sorry folks, they got us. Betty and I are out.”

“Don’t worry Darcy, we’ll turn you into a pro soon enough,” Sheppard promised. “Sit tight, we’ll get the flag.”

“Cool. We’ll head back to the starting point.”

Halfway down the tower, her earpiece exploded with Ronon’s curses. “I’m out,” he growled.

“I’m still alive!” Jane gasped. “That big lug shoved me into some closet and now everyone’s gone. What do I do, what do I do? I’m the only one guarding the flag now!”

“Jane, just stay near the flag. Keep hidden,” Teyla advised.

“If anyone tries to take the flag, shoot them,” McKay added.

She gulped audibly. “Okay.” Then there was nothing but radio silence and the occasional updates from Sheppard. Darcy and Betty reached the starting point and quietly chatted. Ronon joined them, looking absolutely disgruntled.

Suddenly there was a startled, “Eeep!” on Jane’s end. “I got them!” she said a moment later, sounding completely stunned. “I got Major Lorne’s team and-oh, I’m sorry, Carson!”

“Good job, Dr. Foster!” Sheppard congratulated her. “We’ve got the flag, so it’s our win again.”

Ronon shook his head in amazement. “I didn’t think she even knew how to shoot the laser gun.”

Darcy exchanged looks with Betty and laughed. “The girl’s had a god dropped right in her lap. What can I say, she’s lucky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm, this was kind of a short one. Tomorrow's should be much longer, I've got PLANS for it.
> 
> So, Darcy/Cam was just a cracky idea when all of this started, but now I'm really starting to ship them. Call me converted! Also, has anyone noticed that thing that Ben Browder tends to do when he kisses his leading ladies onscreen? The thing with his nose? UNFFFFF.
> 
> And hmmm, turns out I don't really know how to write laser tag scenes...


	6. Broken lungs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cam gets captured and Darcy goes to the rescue.

Darcy exchanged high fives with Ronon. “See you soon, big guy.”

“You’re all right, Lewis.” His lips curved. “Still a while to go on laser tag, but-“

“You shut your mouth, I totally rocked it that last time.” She stuck her tongue out at him and turned to Teyla, giving the older woman a hug. “Thanks for keeping me in shape, Teyla.”

She smiled. “It was my pleasure, Darcy. We will do it again when you return.”

Rodney rolled his eyes as she turned to him with a wicked grin. “Yes, yes, I know, you’ve never met anyone like me. I get that all the time, really. Don’t touch anything when you come back. No, I’m serious, _don’t touch anything_.”

“Oh come on, McKay, it was just that one time!” she called as he jogged away.

“And the time after that, and the one after that-“

Darcy punched Sheppard in the shoulder. “It was not that many times and you know it. Like you’re so innocent, anyway. You totally goaded me into it!”

“Agent Lewis, _General Hammond_ has a lock on you and will transport you shortly,” Chuck called from the control room.

“Oops. Catch you later, Sheppard!” She turned and gave Betty a quick hug, and then Jane. “I’ll see you guys back in New York in about a week, okay?”

Jane handed over her suitcase. “I expect a full report when you return, Agent,” she said in her best Coulson impression.

Darcy laughed. “I’ll send a postcard or something.” She turned and waved. “It’s been real, everyone. Chuck, tell them to beam me up!”

She only had time to hear Rodney complain, “Again with the Star Trek,” before Atlantis dissolved in a bright flash of light.

 _Bitchin’_ , Darcy thought as she rematerialized on the bridge of the _General Hammond_. She was living out all of her sci-fi fantasies. “Agent Darcy Lewis, reporting for duty,” she said out loud, eager to leave behind the memory of the impression she’d given the Jaffa on Dakara.

“Welcome aboard the _General Hammond_ , Agent Lewis.” Sam stepped forward and gave her a firm handshake. “I’m Colonel Samantha Carter. I’ve heard many things about you.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “Only good things, I hope.” She definitely wanted to make a good impression on her.

"Yes, good things, Agent Lewis.” There was laughter in Sam’s eyes, along with a fair hint of curiosity and speculation. She gestured towards the view screen. “I thought you’d like to see Earth before we left orbit.”

Darcy turned and her jaw dropped. She’d seen so many astounding and beautiful things since she started working for Jane and then SHIELD: the Bifrost, Atlantis, the Stargate, and other planets. But this was Earth. This was home. This was the place that – and this was only now becoming achingly real – she now had a hand in protecting. It made those stunning blue oceans, wispy white clouds, and dark, majestic continents all the more precious. “Wow,” she managed. “You think you know what it would look life, from all of the videos from space shuttles. But there’s nothing like it until you actually see it, you know?”

“Yes, Agent Lewis, I do know.” Darcy turned around and saw the same knowledge reflected in her eyes. Gods, she thought suddenly, this woman had been protecting Earth since she'd been going through the angst-ridden pains of puberty. She suddenly felt entirely out of her depth and really, really young.

The past few weeks suddenly seemed like a rollercoaster ride that had abruptly come to a halt. Darcy had a _job_ , and it really wasn’t all fun and games. She had to work with these people, to get them to coordinate with SHIELD in case invading aliens decided to make Earth their target. There was no doubt that they certainly would.

Playtime was over.

“Captain Aki will escort you to your rooms and then take you on a tour of the ship,” Sam continued, breaking Darcy out of her thoughts. “If you have any questions about the day-to-day operations on board, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Darcy nodded, her throat tight. “Of course. On behalf of myself and SHIELD…thanks for having me on board.”

There was a bit more warmth in Sam’s eyes this time. “My pleasure, Agent Lewis.”

 

Darcy had never tried to get someone to like her so desperately in her life. She was a social human being and made friends easily. She liked to think that she was trustworthy, competent, intelligent, and deserving of respect. She’d proven so as Coulson’s assistant. There was a reason why she’d been promoted, and it wasn’t because she had the ATA gene, no matter what Jane said.

Colonel Samantha Carter was different. In an organization full of extraordinary people, she stood apart. In the early days of Stargate Command, it had been even more of a boy’s club than its partner branches in the U.S. Military. Sam had fought her way inside, taken a position, and made it her own. Her achievements spoke for themselves. Sam was the kind of woman that Darcy wanted to be. She had confidence borne from years of experience, was blindingly brilliant, and was more than capable of kicking ass if absolutely necessary.

Okay, so Darcy kind of hero-worshipped Sam Carter. And had a little bit of a girl-crush on her. Who could blame her? 

There was also the tiny fact that Sam was SG-1 and always would be, no matter where she was. If Darcy wanted to keep this thing up with Cam (and there was no question about that), then she wanted Sam’s approval and, even better, her friendship on a personal level.

Sam wasn’t making it easy, on either a personal _or_ professional level. Darcy didn’t think it had anything to do with Sam actively disliking her – on the contrary, Sam seemed to like her well enough. It was just that she was used to working with people who proved their mettle day in and day out. Everyone had to contribute. That was simply how things worked within a military organization. And so far, Darcy was dead weight.

Sure, she’d asked a lot of questions. She even had several protocols and contingency plans drawn up for scenarios that ranged the gamut from lost aliens that needed to be sent home (a.k.a. Protocol E.T.) to Loki escaping and teaming up with rogue Goa’uld (Protocol Shit Get Thor Here _Now_ ). There simply was no need to put any of these plans in action, and who would want to? She liked Earth as it was – safe.

Darcy really wasn’t used to being in this kind of situation. It was frustrating. Befriending Sam, she realized, was a lot like befriending Natasha. She was reasonably sure that Natasha had only started training her because she realized what it would do to Jane, and by extension, Thor, if something happened to her. Later on it just made sense that Coulson’s assistant should have self-defense training. It was only somewhere along the way that the assassin saw her as something other than another body to train or worse, a liability.

She still wasn’t sure if they would ever be pals, but they had nice chats and she knew that Natasha trusted her. She wouldn’t have endorsed Darcy’s appointment as the SHIELD liaison to Homeworld Command otherwise, and boy, hadn’t _that_ been a surprise.

Her eyes drifted over to the command chair, where Sam was currently going over the day’s reports from the various divisions within the _Hammond_. She made it her business to know everything that was going on in her ship, from the littlest system glitch to the ongoing projects in the science labs.

Darcy was currently on the bridge shadowing officers at their various stations in order to get an idea of their on-board tasks. She liked being on the comm with Captain Suraya Aziz, because incoming radio chatter was always interesting to listen to and who knew that planetary bodies actually made sounds? Plus, she totally felt like Uhura with her earpiece. She had already sent a few transmissions back to Earth for Fury. There hadn’t been much news from Earth. Darcy’s orders remained the same until she arrived back in New York for a full debriefing regarding her rotations. Only then would they decide on a permanent schedule.

There wasn’t much word from the SGC either. Darcy had no idea whether or not SG-1 was back from their mission or whether they had even made their last scheduled check-in. She wasn’t supposed to be keeping tabs on individual groups anyway, so why would that information be made available to her? She could only hope that no news was good news. Maybe Cam would have a message waiting for her once she was back on Earth.

On _Earth_. She suppressed a delighted shiver. Would wonders never cease? She hoped she never got tired of them.

Static crackled over her earpiece. “…is anyone out there? This is Vala Mal Doran of SG-1, code Beta-Foxtrot-One-One-Two.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. Why was she hearing _Vala_ over the comm? And that code, if she wasn’t mistaken, was pretty urgent.

“Colonel Carter,” Captain Aziz said. “We have an incoming urgent transmission from Vala Mal Doran of SG-1.”

Sam turned. “On speakers. Open a line.”

Soon, Vala’s voice was broadcasting throughout the bridge. “Please, this is urgent. Can anyone read me? Code Beta-Foxtrot-One-One-Two.”

“Vala, this is the _General Hammond_. We read you loud and clear. How may we assist you?”

“Sam!” The woman’s relief was clear. “Thank god. I’ve been making transmissions for hours now. We have a problem.”

Darcy’s stomach sank as the story came out. The rumors of activity from the Lucian Alliance had been a ruse to lure out SG-1. Some of Vala’s more unsavory contacts from the old days had turned on them, forcing SG-1 to separate and scatter. Teal’c had been the only one to make it through the Stargate and was apparently gate hopping to shake off any pursuers. Vala had managed to steal a spaceship, Daniel had gone to ground on the planet where it all went down and Cam-

Cam had been captured by the Alliance.

“I’ve got Daniel,” Vala said, her voice tight and tense. “I haven’t been able to get a hold on Muscles-“

“We’ll send a message to the Alpha Site and Earth. Teal’c can gate to the nearest planet and we’ll pick him up,” Sam assured her.

“Good. I’ve been tracking the ship that took him. It’s shielded, so you can’t transport him out. I’ve stolen an al’kesh so we’ll be able to use its rings once we have a plan in place.”

“We’ll think of something, Vala. First, give me your exact coordinates so that we can provide back-up if necessary.”

“Sending now. Thanks, Sam. Vala out.”

Sam was quiet for a moment. “Captain Aziz, send a coded message detailing the circumstances both to Earth and the Alpha site. I want you to inform them that we are deviating from our course to provide assistance. Captain Kleinman, I want you to find the nearest usable planet with a Stargate and give its address to Captain Aziz to pass on to Teal’c.”

“Yes ma’am!”

Sam looked over at Darcy, who had gone absolutely white in her seat. “Major Franklin, take the chair. Agent Lewis, please come with me.”

Her feet were surprisingly steady as she followed Sam out and into her ready room. All she could think of was Cam. Cam had been captured. Cam, who she’d expressly told that she’d break his face if he got into trouble and what had he done? Gotten into trouble.

Forget breaking his face, she was going to _murder_ him.

“Agent Lewis, are you all right?” Sam gestured to a seat.

Darcy exhaled but refused the chair. She needed to stay standing, if only because her nerves were thrumming too much for her to sit down. “Not really, but I’ll get over it. Is there a plan?”

Sam nodded and remained standing as well. “We will rendezvous with Daniel and Vala once we’ve got Teal’c. It’s likely that they’ll be the ones to extract Cam. In an ideal world, we would just lock onto his signal and transport him out, but they have a shield. The _Hammond_ may need to engage the Alliance ship in order to create a diversion so that they can disable the shield from inside and get Cam. Then we can get them out.”

It was a good plan. Everything about it made sense, except- “I want to go with them.”

Both of Sam’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“I want to go with them,” she repeated.

She was already shaking her head. “That is not advisable. You are a civilian-“

Darcy interrupted. “No, Colonel Carter, I’m not. I am a SHIELD agent.”

“That may be, but SHIELD is different from the SGC. Your record during the training exercises on Atlantis-“

Her temper flared. Why was Sam questioning her? “Are we really talking about this? Yeah, I screwed up on the first one because I wasn’t taking it seriously. But Betty, Jane, and I rocked it the second time around and knocked out everyone on Major Lorne’s team except Major Lorne.” Her voice rose. “ _Black Widow_ knocks my ass around SHIELD’s gym every time I’m in New York-“

“Stand _down_ , Agent Lewis,” Sam said crisply. Her stance had shifted, straightened, and there was absolute authority in her voice. “May I remind you that you are a guest on my ship and therefore I am responsible for your safety? I am not sending anyone down after Colonel Mitchell unless they’ve got a clear head, do you understand me?”

The weight of her words fell right on her head. Sam was right. God, she felt petty and tiny. She was emotional and high-strung, and that was the last thing Cam needed in a rescuer right now. She was thinking as a girlfriend rather than a colleague. Worst of all, she’d been insubordinate to Sam. It was true that she didn’t necessarily have to answer to anyone in the SGC, but _Hammond_ was Sam’s ship. SHIELD would hold her responsible if anything happened to Darcy, even if it was Darcy’s own foolhardiness that did her in. “Yes ma’am,” she said, looking away.

“Cool down, Agent Lewis.” Sam’s voice was kind. “Do what you need to do to get your head on straight and we can discuss this again.”

“I’m sorry, Colonel Carter.” She blew out a breath and looked up. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. That was insubordinate and rude.”

She smiled wryly. “Do you think I don’t understand how you feel? Cam’s my teammate, and he always will be.”

Of course Sam wanted Cam out of there as much as she did. How could she forget that? “I do. I just…”

“Got emotional. It happens. I’m serious, Agent Lewis, go and clear your head. If we can have a calm discussion once we meet up with Vala and Daniel, I’ll consider putting you on the team.”

It was more than she deserved because hell, she really wasn’t a part of this operation, no matter how much everyone welcomed her. But she’d take it. “Yes ma’am.” She managed a little smile and walked away.

 

Hours later, Darcy knocked on the door of that same ready room. Teal’c had come through the Stargate laden down with supplies and the _Hammond_ crept into position, shields and cloak raised.

This was the first time Darcy had ever seen a ha’tak. They truly were floating pyramids – impressive yet ugly. The people that chose to use them were clearly damaged in the head. All the more reason to get Cam back. She wanted to stop feeling restless and _do_ something.

“Come in,” Sam called.

“Darcy!” Vala exclaimed, getting to her feet. She pulled her into a hug. “I knew you’d be on board, but…” She drew back to look her in the eye. “We’ll get him back, I promise you. He’s annoying, but he _is_ our commander.”

Darcy smiled despite herself. “I know. I just…” She turned to Sam and straightened. “Colonel Carter, I would like to request permission to join SG-1 on this mission.”

Sam put up a hand to stay Daniel’s immediate protest and Vala’s startled cry. “Agent Lewis, you are a consultant and liaison to Stargate Command, not a licensed operative.”

“I am aware of that, Colonel Carter. I do, however, possess the skills of an operative. I am field-trained and authorized. I can handle firearms and am versed in self-defense.” She swallowed and met her gaze squarely. “And I can follow orders.”

“Sam, you can’t seriously think-“ Daniel began again.

“Please be quiet, Daniel,” Sam requested, not looking away from Darcy. “Agent Lewis, why do you want to do this? You know that this is not in your job description.”

She lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “We could say that it is a good way for me to observe how a certain brand of alien aggressors work. That just might appease both of our employers. However, we all know why I really want to do this.”

 _Alien thugs have my boyfriend and no one, but_ no one, _messes with my boyfriend_.

Sam leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Yes, I do believe we do. Do you promise to follow Teal’c commands?”

“Yes,” she replied honestly. She really did not have a death wish. She was already being reckless enough.

“All right then.” Sam turned to Teal’c. “What do you say, Teal’c? Will you accept Agent Lewis on your team?”

Teal’c in turn looked at Darcy, who tried her best to convey her willingness to obey as well as her blind determination to get Cam back. She absolutely could not tell what he was thinking, but apparently he was satisfied by what he saw, because he inclined his head. “I will,” was all he said. Darcy slumped over in relief.

“But-“ Daniel protested.

Vala clapped a hand over his mouth. “Really, Daniel, as if you were any better when you started.”

“You weren’t,” Sam said with a grin. “Darcy here has better skills than you did back then.”

It was the first time that Sam had called Darcy by her first name. She tried not to dance with glee.

The archaeologist sighed, disgruntled. “All right, all right, fine. I yield. Can we discuss how we’re getting Cam back, now?”

 

The inside of the al’kesh was dimly lit. Darcy knelt to examine the rings on the floor. “Just like transporting, right?” she asked no one in particular.

“Exactly right,” Vala confirmed. “Well, they are noisier.” She looked at the younger woman hard. “Are you all right, Darcy?”

Darcy glanced down at the zat gun strapped to her thigh, felt the weight of the other one at her waist as well that of her SHIELD standard-issue Glock. They’d decided against her using a P-90, seeing as she’d only handled the gun once. She’d also foregone her SHIELD uniform in favor of a spare pair of BDUs. At least the BDUs had Kevlar. “I’ll be better once Cam’s safe and we’re out of here,” she confessed.

“Soon enough,” Vala promised, offering a hand to help her up. “Daniel and I will disarm the shield. Stay with Muscles and do everything he tells you.”

“I will.” Darcy exhaled and tried to shift to a place of calm.

Sam’s voice came over their earpieces. “De-cloaking and attacking now. Deploying F-302s. Good luck, everyone. Let me know when you’ve had enough of the Lucian Alliance’s hospitality.”

“We will do so, Colonel Carter.” Teal’c nodded at Daniel, who activated the rings.

The gunfire started almost as soon as they appeared inside the Alliance ship, punctuated by the unfamiliar screech of staff blasts.

“You must avoid the staffs at all cost, Darcy Lewis,” Teal’c said as they instinctively rolled to the left, Daniel and Vala to the right. “They will be fatal should they strike you in the head or torso.” He pulled her into an alcove as a group of men ran by. “Follow me. I am certain that they use the same detention levels as the System Lords did.”

“Got it, Teal’c.” The weight of the zat was reassuring in her hands as she followed him through the levels. It was a good thing he knew where he was going, because she was instantly lost in the maze of gaudily inscribed hallways.

Footsteps behind them forced her to spin around, and suddenly Natasha’s voice was in her ears. _Focus. Assess. React_. The zat went off once, twice, three times. There were three ensuing thuds.

“Very good, Darcy Lewis,” Teal’c said with approval. She managed a tiny smile and just thanked whoever was listening that she actually hadn’t killed anyone.

The ha’tak rocked from the force of Sam’s attack and they had to stop several times as large groups of Alliance soldiers ran past, presumably to man a squadron of Death Gliders.

They finally reached the detention level and they were quick to dispatch the guards standing outside one lone cell.

Darcy almost cried when she saw the state Cam was in. He’d obviously been tortured. His face was almost unrecognizable, both eyes black and almost swollen shut. Bruises mottled almost every surface of his skin, and blood was beginning to seep through his clothes.

“Colonel Mitchell, it is Teal’c. Do not resist, I will help you stand.”

Cam stirred. “Teal’c, buddy, I knew you’d make it!” He peered out as much as he could and blanched when he saw just who was behind his teammate. “Darce? Am I dreaming? What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like? I’m saving you, you jackass.” She fought hard to keep her voice from wobbling as Teal’c draped his arm around his shoulders. One of his legs was clearly broken and his left arm was dislocated.

She wanted to shoot someone. _Now_.

“Darcy Lewis, it will be difficult for me to defend us while assisting Colonel Mitchell. Are you capable of watching us?”

Her eyes were hard and focused when she lifted them up to his. “It’ll be my pleasure, Teal’c.” She kept her word, switching to cover their front and their six when they needed it. “Damn it Daniel, get the goddamn shield down,” she growled.

A squad cornered them just outside the ring room. Teal’c got them into an alcove and immediately began firing back. “Finally,” Darcy snarled, reaching for her pistol instead of the zat. She needed the sound of bullets in her ears, if only to distract her from Cam, bleeding and insensible, beside her.

Daniel’s voice crackled over the earpiece. “Shields are down! Sam, we need a lock and a transport out!”

“It’s about time, Daniel!” Darcy shouted.

“Darcy, Teal’c, do you have Cam?” Sam asked, sounding preoccupied.

“Indeed we do, Colonel Carter. Colonel Mitchell is in need of medical attention.”

Darcy gritted her teeth and changed her clip, then continued firing. She froze when she felt Cam’s hand on her back.

“Sweetheart, no need to keep shooting. We’re almost out of here.” His voice was faint and scratchy.

She blinked tears of rage back. “Shooting makes me feel better!”

“We’ve got a lock,” Sam said. “Transporting in three-two-one-“

Darcy only had time to blink before a medical team was on them. She handed off her pistol to Teal’c and ran alongside the gurney, gripping Cam’s hand in hers. “You are a Grade A asshole, Cameron Mitchell,” she said, not even bothering to pretend she was all right now that they were safe. “I told you not to get hurt or I’d break your goddamn face, now look at you! You _have_ gotten hurt and I keep my promises, damn it!”

His fingers tightened around hers. “One hell of a woman, Darcy,” he said fondly.

“I’m sorry, Agent Lewis, but we’ll take it from here,” the doctor said, pushing him into the infirmary.

Darcy swayed on her feet in the now empty hallway. Now that the adrenaline was ebbing away, she could feel all her energy leaving her. She leaned against the wall and slid down, cradling her head in her hands.

Footsteps came running up to her. “Darcy? Darcy, talk to me.”

She blinked up at Vala and promptly burst into tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wee bit more action and angst, woo! And BAMF!Darcy. Maybe just some all-around BAMF-ness for SG-1. I love it when women are awesome. And this story's pretty Bechdel-compliant, so yay.
> 
> Anyone catch the Farscape reference?


	7. Fall with me into the air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Darcy settles into a routine...sort of.

Darcy woke up to find Cam’s fingers gliding through her hair. “I swear to god, Cam, you’ve got to leave my hair alone,” she mumbled, raising her head and blinking the sleep out of her eyes. It had been a long few hours waiting for him to come out of surgery. SG-1 had sat vigil with her the entire time. They had probably gone to get something to eat, judging by the sandwich and apple left by his bedside.

“S’pretty.” He gratefully accepted the cup of water she passed his way. “You should sleep in your room.”

“While you’re in here? Not a chance.” He still looked awful, but he was safe, healing, and on his way to Earth. “You scared me, flyboy.”

“M’sorry.” His hand cupped the side of her face and she leaned into the touch, covering his hand with hers. “Hazard of the job.”

“Believe me, I know.” She still remembered those first few horrifying moments when she and Teal’c had broken into his cell, wondering if he was simply gone. He’d certainly looked it, at first. She’d never felt terror so real in her life. She couldn’t lose him, not now. It was far too soon.

His thumb stroked along her cheekbone. “If it’s too much-“ he began.

Her eyes snapped open and she glared at him. “Finish that sentence and I’ll end you, Cameron Mitchell,” she threatened. “You’re stupider than I thought if you think this has scared me off.”

Cam let out a sigh of relief. “Knew m’girl was a hellcat. Wouldn’t have been able to let you go, anyway.”

“Good.” She yawned.

He patted the bed. “C’mere.”

She eyed the hospital bed doubtfully. “It’s small and you’re injured-“

“Not so bad. Please?”

Well, she couldn’t deny him when he used that tone. And she did want to be close to him. “All right. But if the doctors yell at me, I’m totally blaming it on you.” She shucked off the BDU jacket and toed off her boots before gingerly climbing up and settling against his side, trying her best not to aggravate any wounds.

“Kiss goodnight?” he asked hopefully.

Darcy couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re like a five-year-old.”

“ _Pleeeeeeease?_ ”

“Oh you.” But she tilted her head up and kissed him anyway, long and slow and deep, letting it all fall away until it was nothing but the two of them. It was quiet and perfect and oh, did they just fit.

“Think I just saw stars,” Cam confessed as she snuggled against him.

“Me too, flyboy. Me too.”

Darcy was the first to fall asleep, her breathing becoming deep and even. Cam pressed his lips to her forehead, wondering how he could be so lucky. He closed his eyes and drifted, stirring only slightly when he heard voices in the room.

“Aw, look at them. They look so peaceful.”

“You know, Vala, I said I’ll believe it when I see it. I definitely see it now.” That was Sam, probably off on Beta shift.

“What, you didn’t notice when she was pulling her ‘No one messes with my man,’ schtick?” Daniel asked.

“It’s one thing to see it on her side. This puts it all in perspective. How many Alliance men did you say she put down, Teal’c?”

“I believe it was five, Colonel Carter. Darcy Lewis and Cameron Mitchell are well-suited.”

“I’m glad she has your approval, but y’all need to be quiet. My girl is sleeping,” Cam said, cracking one eye open. “Hey Sam.”

“Hey there.” She smiled. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Me too.” He looked at his team. “Thanks.”

Nothing else needed to be said. Daniel grinned. “No problem. Get some rest. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

“You got it. Now, shoo.”

Yep, all was definitely right in the world.

 

The _General Hammond_ arrived back at Earth just before the end of Darcy’s rotation. She’d argued quite vehemently with Cam over where she was going to go, but he was the one that won out in the end.

“Darce, trust me, I’m not going to be leaving the mountain anytime soon,” Cam said with a wince. He had a long few weeks of healing ahead of him. “Bum leg, remember? Wish I had some of Cap’s healing properties.”

“Yeah, well, painkillers also don’t work on Cap so he has to spend days in absolute agony,” was the pointed reply. “And stop trying to change the subject!”

Cam rubbed his eyes. “I’m not, really. But you still have to debrief Director Fury.”

Darcy knew that, she really did. She just couldn’t help that she really wanted to be elsewhere. “I hate it when other people make sense,” she muttered, pouting.

He chuckled. “Look at it this way. I’ve got a lot of recovery time coming up. Soon as Carolyn starts letting me move around, maybe I can come visit you in New York.”

She honestly hadn’t thought of that. “There’s plenty of room for you in my place at Stark Tower.” Back when she was Coulson’s assistant, it had been deemed easier for her to be closer to where all the action took place. Tony and Pepper had been incredibly generous, although it was easy to be generous when there was space to spare and when it just made sense to have everyone close together. 

Cam looked as though Christmas had come early. “You mean the Avenger’s Tower? I am _there_.”

“You’re not allowed to fuss over Cap,” she warned.

And so, while SG-1 was being beamed back down to Cheyenne Mountain, Darcy was to be sent to Stark Tower.

Sam shook her hand. “It has been a pleasure working with you, Agent Lewis. I hope we can do so again.”

“The pleasure’s been all mine, Colonel Carter. And I hope so too. I’d like to see a little more of the galaxy.” And what was her life, that she could say things like that?

“I’m sure we can arrange something.” There was genuine warmth in the older woman’s eyes as she dropped her voice. “And I’m very happy for you and Cam. As his teammate and friend though, I will just say that if you hurt him, I have a transporter and I know how to use it.”

The good-natured threat brought a smile to Darcy’s face. It looked like she’d finally gotten through to her. “Noted. Take care, Colonel Carter.”

“Call me Sam, Darcy,”

“Got it. See you soon, Sam.”

When the light cleared, Darcy was in the kitchens of Stark Tower, staring down the barrel of Natasha’s gun. “Oops. Maybe we should have sent word ahead, huh?”

“Darcy? Is that really you?” Bruce asked, his mug of tea raised halfway up to his mouth.

“Duh, of course it’s me.”

“Code,” Natasha demanded.

She rolled her eyes but rattled off the agreed-upon phrase. “I am a member of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor.”

The safety clicked off. “Okay.” Then – surprise of all surprises – Natasha hugged her. Darcy hung there, stunned, before returning it. “It’s good to have you back,” she said before returning to her breakfast as though people beamed into the kitchen all the time.

“JARVIS,” Tony said around a mouthful of jam doughnut. “Make a note. We need to figure out how to stop people from beaming, transporting, or teleporting into the Tower.” He downed his coffee and pulled a face. “Welcome back, Lewis. The coffee sucks without you.”

“Right away, sir.”

Darcy smiled. “It’s good to be back.” And she really meant it.

 

The next few days involved endless amounts of paperwork and meetings, with the occasional two-day jaunt down to D.C. to meet with General O’Neill and IOA representatives. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of reports she'd requisitioned regarding the Lucian Alliance. They'd gotten onto her radar in a bad, bad way.

As predicted, Fury and Coulson had _not_ been happy about her little jaunt into a Lucian Alliance ship, but what was done was done. “With all due respect Director Fury, it was one way to examine the internal structure of the Alliance, as well as a first-hand look inside one of their ships. That’s valuable information,” she pointed out during the debriefing.

“Colonel Carter, what is your view on this?” Fury asked, sparing Darcy a glare that said he knew what she was doing. Darcy just shrugged. Fury was still intimidating, but he wasn’t shouting yet, which was a good thing.

As the ranking officer for the situation in question, Sam was also present via video conferencing. “Director Fury, I had no reason to doubt Agent Lewis’ abilities. She already came aboard the _Hammond_ with high recommendations from General O’Neill, General Landry, and Mr. Woolsey. She made a strong argument for her case and I could not see any reason to deny her. SG-1 is the most experienced team in Homeworld Command, so she was not in any immediate danger.”

“And this has nothing to do with the fact that Agent Lewis is involved with Colonel Mitchell?”

Of course Fury knew. She just wondered when he’d found out.

“It does, sir,” Darcy replied. “But that was only part of it.”

He just shot her another one of those fulminating looks. “Colonel Carter, do you endorse Agent Lewis’ actions?”

“I do, Director Fury.” Sam folded her hands. “And while I do not recommend that she come along on every mission, be it with SG-1, AR-1, or any other team under the purview of Homeworld Command, I do not see a problem with her doing so every once in while. Especially if the mission is pursuant to the interests of both SHIELD and Homeworld Command.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was why Darcy wanted to grow up to be Sam Carter. She really needed to learn how to speak that way.

Coulson cleared his throat. “Colonel Carter does have a good point.”

Darcy turned to her old boss and now colleague, her eyebrows raised. Was Coulson really going to bat for her?

“Mr. Teal’c does state in the report that Agent Lewis displayed remarkable skills while maintaining a level head,” he continued, flipping a folder open. 

“Okay, _fine_ ,” Fury finally conceded, scowling. “But Agent Lewis, you should try to ask next time you decide to go running off with SG-1 or any other team, is that clear? You are a liaison first, not a field agent, training aside.”

“Yes sir.” She exchanged grins with Sam on the video screen.

She exchanged e-mails with Cam every day. It was almost like they were pen pals. Darcy appreciated the medium. Certainly Steve thought it was romantic, but Cap was definitely a softy at heart. Still, she missed hearing that easy, confident drawl of his.

That was why it was a surprise when her phone rang with an unfamiliar number. “Hello?” she said, frowning.

“Hey there, sweetheart.”

“Cam!” She leaned back in her chair, delighted. Having an office to herself had its perks. “What are you doing? How are you? Is everything all right?”

“I’m talking to my girl, I’m all right, and everything’s just fine,” he laughed. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“I’ve missed hearing your voice, too,” she admitted. “Are you at the mountain?”

“Nah, Carolyn said that I’m clear and as long as I don’t do anything, and I quote, ‘stupidly strenuous’ I could go wherever I want to recuperate. So I’m spending some time at home.”

“You’re in Kansas now?”

“Well, I’m certainly not over the rainbow.”

She groaned. “That was terrible.”

“What, I’m not allowed to make references of my own?”

“Nah, I think we should just leave those to me.” Darcy spun around in her chair, smiling softly. “How is it?”

Cam snorted. “What do you think, darling? My Ma’s fussing over me, but I think I can wrangle a pie a day out of her, so it’s a fair trade.”

“Ah. I know your weakness now.”

“Yep. Pie and snarky, curvy brunettes with lips like sin and eyes like a dream.”

 _Damn_. Darcy fanned herself. He wasn’t in the same room and he could still make her blush. “You sure know how to sweet talk a girl, flyboy.”

“Is it working?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

“I’ll say. But I’m not having phone sex with you while I’m at work.” Even if it did give her a rush of heat just thinking about it. It wouldn’t take very long on her end, not when he had a voice like that.

He laughed again, but now there was a deeper, darker edge to it. “Sounds like you’re open to it, though.”

“If you play your cards right.”

Before he could respond, there was a noise in the background. “Cam? Who are you talking to?”

“I’m talking to Darcy, Ma.” There was a pause. “My Ma says hello, Darce, and she would like to meet you soon.”

Darcy grinned. “Tell her hi back, and if I’m meeting her, Cam, you’re coming to Wisconsin with me.”

“Ma, she says hello back. And of course I’ll go with you. Think your daddy will teach me how to make cheese?”

“It’s kind of a requirement. He judges all of our significant others on how well they are able to make cheese.”

“Well, let’s hope that I have it in me to make good cheese. Listen, I know I called you at work, so…talk to you later?”

“I’m counting on it. Later, flyboy.”

She couldn’t keep the grin off her face for the rest of the day.

 

Darcy walked out of the elevator, shoes in hand. “JARVIS, please tell me that there’s some leftover food in the refrigerator,” she pleaded as she headed for kitchen and common area of Stark Tower.

“Indeed there is, Ms. Lewis,” the AI responded. “Captain Rogers made meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”

“Steve cooked?” she asked, perking up slightly at the thought. “Fantastic. Thanks, JARVIS, you’re awesome.” Steve made better meatloaf than her mother, and that was saying something. Some comfort food would hit the spot after a long couple of days in D.C. negotiating with Homeworld Command and the IOA over jurisdiction.

“You are most welcome, Ms. Lewis.”

She heard the low murmur of voices before she even stepped inside. That was weird. People had a tendency to disperse after dinner unless there was a TV marathon or movie night. “There you are, Darcy!” Jane exclaimed, smiling from her place beside Thor. “You have a visitor.”

“Huh?” She looked over, confused. All of the Avengers were there, plus Pepper and Betty and huh, what was Agent Hill doing there? Then she caught sight of the person sitting on the lone armchair and her jaw dropped.

Cam’s smile spread across his face. “Hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d drop in.”

Darcy could not stop gawking. She had never seen Cam in civvies before but damn. She should have known that he could make simple jeans and a white t-shirt look good. Not to mention the leather jacket, because _hello_.

Best of all, he was healing. The bruises on his face had already faded to yellow and his leg was in a sleek new cast. His crutches were propped up against the coffee table.

Cam’s smile faded into a look of concern. “Sweetheart, you all right?” he asked. “Is-“

Her bag and shoes hit the floor with a muffled _thud_ and she flew across the room, throwing herself in his lap as best she could to avoid aggravating his injuries. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she demanded.

His chest rumbled with suppressed laughter. “I could leave, if you like,” he suggested.

Her arms tightened around him. “Try and you’re dead,” she threatened. “Gods, Cam, you’re here,” she breathed into his neck, still not quite able to believe that he was solid and real.

His arms wrapped around her. “I’m here,” he murmured. “This is a good surprise, right?”

“The best.”

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Jane said decisively, standing and leading Thor away by the hand. “It’s been nice chatting with you, Cam.”

“You too, Jane. Thanks for dinner, Steve.”

“It was my pleasure, Cam. Help yourself to leftovers, Darcy, there’s plenty.”

“Thanks, Steve.”

“We still have a lot to talk about, Mitchell,” Tony said as he followed everyone out of the room. “Like your intentions towards-ow, Pepper!”

“Leave them alone, Tony.”

Finally, it was just the two of them, not that Darcy had paid much attention to everyone else anyway. She drew back and cradled Cam’s face in her hands. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” she murmured. It had been just over two weeks since she’d last seen him on the _General Hammond_.

Cam’s hands settled on her waist. “I can say the same for you, darling. I had to make my excuses to my parents because I was in too much of a hurry to see you.”

“Do you see me complaining?” Darcy asked, peppering little kisses to his brow.

His eyes danced. “If this is you complaining, I want you to do some more of it.”

“Your wish is my command.” They just grinned at each other, silly with joy at being together once more. “So, how long are you here?”

“Long as you want me, sweetheart.”

“Hmmm.” She rubbed her nose against his, like that Eskimo kiss that he loved so much. “How does forever sound?”

“Sounds perfect.” He reached up and caught her lips with his, kissing her slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's finished. I'm so blown away by the response this story has received. Thank you all so, so much for coming along with me on this cracktastic ride. This has been my first ever week-long challenge, and it's been such fun!
> 
> Quick note: my usual betas aren't into Stargate, so any and all mistakes are mine!
> 
> I don't think I'm finished with this universe...it's too much fun. There are probably a few one-shots in the future, don't worry!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so crazy. I've got a conference presentation to finish, but when inspiration strikes you like a semi, what can you do?
> 
> I expect the timeline will be roughly linear for this story, and there will be eventual shipping. There are a few things to set up first in order to make sure that these universes cross-over nicely.
> 
> Title comes from Thrice's "The Flame Deluge."


End file.
